Rebuilding a Smile That’s Lost One or More Teeth

The disconcerting thing about tooth loss is that, once you lose one, it’s lost forever. The more teeth you lose, the greater the permanent impact of it will be on your oral health, and the more urgent your need to replace your lost teeth in order to rebuild your smile. However, depending on the extent of your tooth loss and the specific conditions that led to it, rebuilding your smile might mean more than receiving a dental bridge or denture.

What your treatment plan should accomplish

When you experience tooth loss, making your smile appear whole again isn’t the only goal of your treatment. Besides its appearance, your smile is also greatly impacted by the loss of your teeth in several important ways. The goal of rebuilding your smile is also to help your oral structures and bite function properly again, and to restore the different functions that your healthy teeth were responsible for. A custom-designed dental prosthesis needs to carefully mimic the unique size, shape, and contour of the tooth that was lost, which will allow it to restore the tooth’s proper role in your bite’s function.

Addressing the cause of your tooth loss

After you experience tooth loss, the first thing you may think about is replacing the tooth as soon as possible. However, it’s important to note that tooth loss can occur for a variety of different reasons, and in many cases, the reason is an underlying concern that grows progressively worse over time. For instance, the most frequent cause of tooth loss is gum disease, which can affect a wide range of people to varying degrees. It’s also the leading cause of tooth loss due to the extensive damage that severe gum disease can cause to your teeth’s supportive tissues and structures.

Choosing the most effective prosthetic option

The size, shape, appearance, contour, and overall dentition of your teeth are unique to your smile. So is the reason why you experienced tooth loss, and the extent to which you’ve lost teeth due to the condition. For many people, however, the right dental bridge, denture, or other prosthesis is one that’s supported by an appropriate number of dental implant posts. These posts are designed to mimic the way in which natural roots support your healthy teeth, and are made from biocompatible titanium that your healthy jawbone structure can fuse to. This creates a sturdier support system for your prosthesis, and can have more positive impacts on your long-term oral health.

Learn how to rebuild your smile after tooth loss

After you’ve experienced tooth loss, it’s important to replace the lost teeth as well as restore your good oral health in order to successfully rebuild your smile. To learn more, schedule an appointment by calling MMC Dental in Houston, TX, today at (713) 926-8896.