Even if the rest of your teeth are healthy and look great, all it takes is one missing tooth to ruin your smile and diminish your confidence. However, there’s more to tooth loss than cosmetic concerns, as important as they might be to your personal and professional life.
A missing tooth can affect everything from your speech and nutrition to the health and stability of your gums and other teeth. At Haider Family Dentistry in Salem, Oregon, Dr. Jeremy Haider and our team offer general and cosmetic dentistry services to improve your smile’s appearance and your oral health.
The health benefits to replacing a missing tooth
Location is obviously a big factor in how a missing tooth affects your appearance and lifestyle. If you’re missing a front tooth, for example, it’s the first thing people notice when you smile. Many people naturally tend to avoid smiling or even interacting with people when they’re missing a tooth.
In addition, a missing tooth can affect your speech, causing what can sound like a lisp or slurred speech. Depending on the location of the missing tooth, you may also have to make adjustments to your diet, limiting certain types of food, which can cause a negative impact on your nutrition.
Missing teeth can also trigger other oral health problems over time. One of the main side effects of missing teeth is bone loss. When a tooth is extracted or falls out, the surrounding bone begins to erode. Bone loss increases your risk of gum disease and infection and can even make the adjacent teeth less stable and alter your bite.
Replacement options for a missing tooth
The good news is that there are several options available to replace a missing tooth, all of which are cosmetically attractive and address most if not all of the oral and general health problems that can result from missing teeth.
A dental implant is the closest thing to a real tooth. The implant is surgically placed in the jawbone at the socket of the missing tooth, and it’s the only restoration that replaces the tooth’s root. This helps prevent bone loss and securely anchors the cosmetic crown. Implants can replace a single tooth or support a partial or full set of prosthetic teeth.
A crown is a quick and less invasive option to replace a missing tooth. Replacement crowns are held in place with a bridge that’s anchored to the teeth on either side of your missing tooth.
If you’re missing several or all of your teeth on your upper or lower jaw, our denture options can fix your smile and get your oral health back on track. Modern dentures look more natural than ever and are designed to provide a more secure and comfortable fit.
For more information about the available dental restoration options to replace a missing tooth, contact us today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Haider at our office in Salem, Oregon, or request an appointment online.