Bellevue Implant & Cosmetic Dentistry Bellevue Washington

If you lose one or several permanent teeth, it may be time to get a set of dentures. It is possible to lose teeth for a variety of reasons, including gum disease, dental infections, and accidents. It is important to replace a missing tooth with an implant that has similar appearance and durability. Living with gaps in one’s smile due to missing teeth is an unhealthy risk that one does not need to live with.

Dentures prevent resorption

When someone loses a tooth, the jawbone no longer receives stimulation in that area. As a result, the body may begin to leach calcium away from the jaw to use elsewhere in the body through a process known as resorption. The process of resorption weakens the jaw, endangers the stability of other teeth, and changes a person’s appearance.

Still, many people live with missing teeth, rather than replacing them. Dentures can help prevent all of these issues and give people the functionality of a full set of teeth. Signs that one might need dentures can include:

• An individual loses one or more teeth
• Tooth loss is making it difficult to eat comfortably
• The tooth loss is obvious when speaking or smiling
• It is difficult to speak clearly without a full set of teeth
• Since losing teeth, the face begins to change and appear sunken
• Self-esteem has dropped due to tooth loss

Health factors

Another indication that dentures may be necessary is if a dentist finds a severe infection, gum disease or needs to extract the tooth for the patient’s oral health. These are oral health problems that require treatment and intervention to prevent tooth loss, though sometimes it is not possible to do so.

Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss and something that most adults will suffer from at some point. The mildest form is known as gingivitis and can be uncomfortable, lead to bad breath and some swelling. At this stage, we can treat the condition fairly easily and the gums will return to normal health afterward. Once gum disease is gone, so is the risk of losing teeth from it. However, if the condition is allowed to progress, the gums will pull away from the tooth structure and expose the tooth and root. Once it has, the risk of tooth loss is even greater.

Prevent the worst early on

A severe dental infection is another reason for tooth loss. When a tooth becomes infected, the infected area must be removed and antibiotics prescribed. Without these two steps, the infection will likely spread in the mouth and lead to eventual tooth loss and the need for dentures.

It is possible to knock a tooth out in an accident, however innocent. Even playing with friends can lead to tooth loss, making it smart to take it easy after being warned. Doing so is worth it to create a set of natural looking and comfortable new set teeth.

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If routine health care is something you need help with, call us.