If you have lost a natural tooth, even just one, this could mean serious trouble for your smile. To offer a complete smile again, you may need a custom-made prosthetic. For minor tooth loss, your Kansas City, MO, dentist could secure new teeth with a dental bridge. In today’s blog, find out how we design and craft these new teeth!
The Impact of Tooth Loss
When we lose one or more of our teeth, this could cause serious problems for our smile. For example, the gap that forms could mean that your surrounding teeth drift from position. The resulting misalignment alters smile beauty but also increases the risk of complications like tooth decay and gum disease. For others, the missing teeth alters bite balance, so problems like TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding) could develop. Not to mention, tooth loss is also connected to trouble eating and or even speaking clearly.
Crafting Your New Smile
For situations in which you’re missing one to three teeth in a row, we could recommend a dental bridge. To begin, we need to remove structure from the teeth on either side of the gap, known as abutment teeth. Once we do this, we will take detailed images with digital scanning technology, creating a 3D model of the area. In a dental lab, this can be used to design and craft the prosthetic. We will create them using materials like ceramic, which absorb daily bite forces but can also be sanded to blend with your smile seamlessly.
Placing Your Bridge
When your prosthetic is ready, you will return to the office. After we check the fit, we will attach the bridge to your smile. The prosthetic contains the new teeth with crowns attached to each end. We connect the crowns to the abutment teeth, which secures the new ones firmly in place. You will be able to smile with confidence and eat your favorite foods again! The prosthetic on average lasts about 10 to 15 years. To help it last, be sure you brush and floss around it just as you do your natural teeth, and clean the spaces between the top of the gums and the bottom of the prosthetic.
If you have any questions about addressing your tooth loss, then let us know right away. There is still time for an appointment, so you can start 2022 with a new smile and use your remaining 2021 dental benefits before they expire.
Talk To Your Kansas City, MO Dentist About Treating Tooth Loss
We want to help you enjoy a complete smile by replacing your missing teeth. To find out more about treating your tooth loss with a lifelike prosthetic, then please contact your Kansas City, MO, dentist, Dr. Murphy, by calling (816) 531-8000.
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