Preferably, you can avoid tooth loss with consistently good care and maintenance of your smile. However, tooth loss is common for many different reasons, some of which aren’t avoidable, and when it occurs, the risks to your long-term oral health are significant. The best way to preserve your smile and avoid the consequences of tooth loss is to address it as soon as possible. To properly deal with your tooth loss, we can customize your treatment to address its root cause as well as provide the most lifelike restoration for your smile.

Dealing with the cause of it first

The specific cause of your tooth loss can have a significant impact on how you should deal with it. For instance, many people experience tooth loss because an underlying, severe gum disease. This can erode the gum tissues and jawbone structure that support their teeth roots, causing the teeth to fall out or require extraction in order to address the condition. If left alone, gum disease can continue its path of destruction, leading to further tooth loss and the failure of any existing tooth replacements or restorations.

Designing the appropriate bridge or denture

Once the foundation of your smile and oral health are properly addressed, the next step is to design the most appropriate restoration to replace your lost tooth or teeth. Depending on the extent of your tooth loss, this may be a dental bridge, partial, or complete denture. A dental bridge is most appropriate for closing the gap created by a single lost tooth, or multiple adjacent teeth. A partial denture can be designed to replace several teeth that aren’t next to each other, while a complete denture can rebuild your entire dental ridge with a full row of lifelike replacement teeth.

Supporting your restoration on dental implants

While the specific type of restoration you need to rebuild your smile depends on the number of teeth you’ve lost, you may benefit from supporting any restoration with one or more dental implant posts. The visible crowns of your teeth are responsible for filling out your smile and biting and chewing your food, but the roots are what give them much of their structural integrity and strength under the pressure of your bite. With an appropriate number of dental implants, you can give your replacement teeth a similar level of support, and more comprehensively restore your smile.

Find the best solution for your tooth loss

Dealing with tooth loss and its impact on your smile can be vital to preserving your long-term oral health. To learn more, or to schedule your appointment, call Healthy Smiles in Gary, IN, today at 219-938-2637.