Do you hide your smile when you laugh? Have difficulty chewing your favorite foods? Tooth loss can lead to all sorts of embarrassing situations and even complicate your oral health. In this blog, your West Seattle dentist explores the complications associated with tooth loss, why it occurs, and the methods to replace these missing teeth, specifically crowns and bridges.
Tooth loss complications may include:
- Difficulty smiling
- Difficulty chewing
- Tooth migration
- Further tooth loss
Why We Lose Teeth
Tooth loss can result from many things, including but not limited to lack of dental care, poor oral hygiene, and injuries.
Appropriate dental care and oral hygiene help prevent tooth loss by lowering the risks of advanced tooth decay, oral infections, and gum disease. When left untreated, these issues can result in tooth loss.
Injuries can also cause tooth loss. A knocked-out tooth is considered a dental emergency. With timely intervention, your dentist can sometimes reset and save the tooth.
The Complications of Missing Teeth
Missing teeth can influence your emotional well-being and your interactions with the world. In other words, tooth loss is a confidence killer. Lost teeth can also affect chewing, digestion, and speaking.
When you lose a tooth, your remaining teeth are taxed with all the chewing. Additionally, remaining teeth can migrate into smile gaps. Both issues create premature wear and tear. The results can mean fractures, cavities, and additional tooth loss.
Crowns and Bridges in West Seattle
A bridge is a custom oral prosthetic made of restoration teeth. The bridge connects to healthy teeth via attached dental crowns. The bridge and crowns are a single prosthetic.
Because this is a fixed option, you don’t have to worry about slippage or other embarrassing mishaps. You can wear your bridge with confidence.
A dental crown in West Seattle also works alone to conceal flaws and protect at-risk teeth.
Contact Our Dental Team in West Seattle to Get Started
If you have missing teeth, we can help. Contact a dental team member at (206) 935-3161 to schedule your consultation today.