Missing Teeth Specialist

How are teeth lost?

According to studies cited by the American College of Prosthodontists, there are roughly 178 million Americans that are missing at least one of their teeth, and nearly 40 million Americans that are missing all of their teeth. 

There are a variety of conditions that can lead to a missing tooth. Some of the more common reasons include:

• Knocked out from physical trauma
• Surgically removed by extraction
• Fall out from gum disease or tooth infection

Whatever has led you to have missing teeth, the team of dental experts at Glad Dental P.C. can make your smile whole again with high-quality replacements.

What are the risk factors for losing a tooth?

There are plenty of factors that can put you at a greater risk of losing a tooth, including:

Dry mouth

Smoking

Those who smoke are three times as likely to develop gum disease, which is the most common cause of tooth loss amongst adults.

Poor oral hygiene

You’re more likely to lose teeth if you don’t brush twice a day and floss daily. Flossing is essential to maintaining good oral health, but only an estimated 13.5% of Americans do it daily. When you don’t floss and brush properly, plaque and tartar build-up on your teeth, which can lead to tooth decay and gum disease.

Why do I need to replace missing teeth?

Missing teeth leave unsightly holes in your smile that can detract from your appearance and make you feel self-conscious. When you don’t feel confident in your smile, you’re less likely to share it with the world.

Having gaps in your smile also negatively impacts your overall oral health. Your mouth was designed to have all of its teeth working together in harmony, and when one of those teeth doesn’t show up for the job, it throws the entire system out of whack.

When you’re missing a tooth, it can cause the remaining teeth in your smile to fall out of alignment as they gradually drift towards the space left in your smile. This shifting of your teeth can throw off the distribution of force in your bite, which can lead to excessive pressure in certain areas of your smile and cause those teeth to prematurely wear down. 

You also need your teeth to properly chew and eat your food. When you’re missing a tooth, you tend to avoid chewing your food in that particular area, which can put added stress on the other areas of your jaw. This can have a negative impact on your jaw and facial muscles.

Missing teeth also deprive your jawbone of necessary stimulation. Without a tooth root to stimulate your bone tissue, your jawbone begins to break down or resorb. This ultimately makes your jaw weaker and can change the appearance of your face as your muscles around your missing teeth begin to cave in, leading to a sunken-in appearance.

What missing tooth replacement services do you offer?

Glad Dental P.C. offers a variety of services to replace your missing teeth, including:

Dental bridges

A dental bridge is a fixed prosthetic device that replaces a missing tooth from your smile with an artificial tooth, called a pontic. The pontic is held in place by crowns that are affixed to the teeth adjacent to your missing tooth, effectively “bridging” the gap in your smile.

Don’t let missing teeth have a negative impact on your life. Let Dr. Yakobashvili, Dr. Datikashvili, and the team of professionals at Glad Dental P.C. improve your smile with missing tooth replacement services. You can get started today by calling the friendly offices to schedule a visit, or using the convenient online booking tool below to make an appointment.