The Unsettling Truth about Living with Missing Teeth

Bloomsburg, Danville, and Lewisburg, PA

The American College of Prosthodontists estimates that 178 million adults in the United States have lost at least one missing tooth. Are you included in this 178 million? If so, you’re living with the embarrassment that comes with having a gap in your smile while also navigating around how that lost permanent tooth impacts your ability to chew. However, there are other consequences for your oral health. Read on as, today on the blog, your restorative dentists in Bloomsburg examine some unsettling truths about living with missing teeth.

The consequences of tooth loss

Did you know that having one missing permanent tooth increases the likelihood that you may lose other teeth? This is because, when you lose a tooth, the supporting section of the jawbone no longer receives the constant stimulation that came from the tooth root. Without this stimulation, your body eventually begins the process of resorption – absorbing cells from that portion of the jawbone and allocating them elsewhere in your body. This leads to the deterioration of that section of jawbone, which can threaten the stability of the adjacent teeth and lead to other tooth loss. This bone loss also gives your face a sunken-in appearance, making you look older than you actually are.

Reasons to replace your missing tooth in Bloomsburg

For the factors listed above, it is important to seek a replacement for your lost tooth or teeth.

No matter which method of restorative dentistry you seek, the benefits to replace missing teeth include:

• Restoring your ability to bite, speak and chew
• Filling the hole in your smile
• Improving your confidence
• Helping to maintain the natural shape of your face

Tooth replacement options

• Dental bridge: If you have multiple missing teeth that are adjacent to one another in the mouth, a dental bridge is the likely best treatment option for you. Your bridge is fixed permanently in your mouth, meaning it won’t slip or shift like dentures can.
• Dentures: Dentists have been using dentures for decades to help patients who have lost all or most of their teeth. Thanks to technological improvements, dentures have come a long way from the fake-looking set of teeth in a glass on your bedside table. Hamilton Dental Care offers custom full or partial dentures that match the shape and shade of your remaining teeth, as well as your gums.
• Dental implants: A dental implant represents the gold standard method for replacing lost teeth. No other method of restorative dentistry can match how an implant looks, feels and functions like a natural tooth. A dental implant is also the only tooth replacement that provides the stimulation to the jawbone that came from the tooth root, thanks to the surgical installation of the implant screw. If you’re living with significant tooth loss, Hamilton Dental Care can install the All on Four system, which provides an entire arch of replacement teeth supported by four strategically located implants.

Replacing lost teeth in Bloomsburg, Danville and Lewisburg in Pennsylvania

Are you ready to regain your bite, restore your smile and recapture your self-confidence? Let the team at Hamilton Dental Care help treat your tooth loss. Just call (570) 387-0533 or contact us online to schedule a consultation today.