The effects of Missing Teeth

Your teeth are mutually dependent on each other to maintain their natural position in your mouth. This positioning helps you chew while distributing your biting forces. When you lose a tooth the remaining teeth will move into the open space. If left untreated, more complex dental treatment may be needed to restore your normal dental health.

The problem of broken down or missing teeth can be easily remedied in most cases. Replacing missing teeth will help you to keep and maintain the health of your smile for a long time. Unlike baby teeth, we want to keep our permanent teeth as long as we can. Gum disease is the leading cause of missing teeth in adults. It can be prevented or stopped by keeping your mouth as clean as possible through daily brushing, flossing, and regular check-ups.

Solutions for Missing teeth

Gaps between teeth can occur naturally or when teeth have been lost. A gap between the front two teeth, called a diastema, is natural for some; many choose to have it closed for cosmetic reasons although a diastema poses no harm to oral health. People often live with spaces between their back teeth for years because they do not cause a cosmetic problem. However, these spaces can lead to dental problems.

Fixed Solutions

Missing teeth may set off a chain reaction of dental problems over time that can change your bite and develop food traps. This can cause bad breath, tooth decay, periodontal disease and bone loss. Depending on the circumstances involved, fixed dental devices, like bridges can be used to replace missing teeth and restore dental health. Teeth on both sides of the space are prepared and a bridge is permanently cemented or bonded into place. Even orthodontics may be recommended to return the teeth to a more ideal position to improve function and/or cosmetics.

"Take Out" Solutions

Upper or lower dentures usually are the best solution for persons with no teeth. In situations where many teeth are missing, but the remaining teeth are stable and healthy, a removable partial denture may be recommended. "Partials" allow patients to keep their remaining healthy teeth and replace missing teeth to restore form and function. Precision partials use fixed crowns and special attachments to secure the partial and eliminate the need for conventional clasping methods. The removable design of a full or partial denture allows for daily cleaning and periodic adjustment or replacement.

For years, dentures or crown and bridge have been the only options for permanent tooth loss. Today, dental implants are becoming more popular as a method used to replace missing teeth. An implant replaces the root of a missing tooth so that a crown can be attached to it.

Dr. Kwan has over 2 0 years and was a pioneer in the field of dental implant placement and restorations. He has performed over 2500 successful implant and procedures.

The Final Choice Is Yours

Usually, there is more than one restorative solution for repairing broken-down and missing teeth. A consultation with Dr. Kwan will help you choose the best restorative solution for your situation. You can help keep your permanent teeth longer by replacing missing teeth, brushing and flossing daily, and having regular dental check-ups and professional tooth cleanings. Stopping smoking or chewing tobacco and maintaining good nutrition will also help you achieve the optimum in oral health.