When you lose a tooth, this could mean major complications down the road for the function and beauty of your smile. To offer recovery and help you smile with pride again, your Des Moines, IA, dentist may suggest placing a custom-made dental bridge, which could be secured with crowns or even dental implants!
The Causes and Dangers of Tooth Loss
Why do we lose one or more of our natural teeth? The factors could vary, and may include injury to the face or jaw, or possibly untreated gum disease that reaches an advanced stage and destroys the tissues connecting your teeth and gums. In fact, gum disease is the number one cause of tooth loss in our adult years! When we lose teeth, the body will suspend the flow of certain nutrients to the jawbone, causing the bone tissue around your missing tooth to break down. This break down means further tooth loss and eventually, an aged appearance. Missing teeth also causes misalignment, leading to tooth decay and gum disease. Not to mention, tooth loss could strain our jaw joints and upset bite balance so TMJ disorder and bruxism are more likely to develop. Finally, you could develop serious issues eating or speaking clearly, which impacts your quality of life in a negative fashion.
Crafting a Prosthetic
A dental bridge contains one or more pontics, or replacement teeth, and contains crowns built into each end. The prosthetic is made from strong and durable materials such as ceramic, and can be color-matched to blend with the color of surrounding teeth. We design them based on detailed digital images and impressions we take of your smile, which ensures a comfortable fit and a balanced bite.
Crowns and Implants
Traditional bridges are support by placing the crowns onto the natural teeth on either side of the gap, known as abutment teeth. While effective, this means removing natural structure from other teeth, and also that the bridge will eventually need replacement due to changes in the shape of the jaw ridge. However, if instead we insert one or more dental implants, we attach crowns to these. We save natural structure and the implants stimulate the growth of bone tissue to prevent the break down in the jaw, so your new teeth could last for decades to come or possibly even a lifetime with proper care and attention. If you have any questions about replacing missing teeth with a bridge, then contact our team today.
Do You Have a Missing Tooth?
Our team wants to help you maintain optimal oral health by treating your missing teeth with a custom prosthetic. For more information how we address cases of minor tooth loss, or to schedule your appointment with our Des Moines, IA team, contact Gateway Dental Group by calling 515-244-9565 today.