Tooth Loss
Great Falls, MT
 Only a few adults are able to retain all 32 of their teeth during a lifetime. You can end up losing a tooth as a consequence of poor oral care, an accident, or having a disease such as diabetes or heart disease.
With advancements in dentistry, there are several treatments to cover those gaps between your teeth and make you smile confidently once again. At River's Edge Dental, our team of expert dentists can evaluate your condition and perform the best procedures to help take care of your dental needs.
Causes of Tooth Loss
While losing a tooth may be exciting for children, it can definitely be a concerning sign for adults. Here are some major reasons you can end up losing a tooth:
Poor Eating Habits
Eating foods that contain a high amount of sugar and carbohydrates can give birth to cavities within your teeth. Harmful bacteria tend to prosper on the leftover sugar on your teeth, and create acids that slowly eat up the tooth enamel. If not treated in time, these cavities can seep to the deeper layers of your teeth and slowly cause your tooth to fall out.
Accidents
Falls and accidents are frequent causes of tooth loss. They often cause a chipped or damaged tooth. If the impact is serious, a tooth may loosen up. To avoid such a situation, it is crucial to take preventive measures such as wearing a mouth guard while participating in athletics.
Bad Oral Hygiene
Teeth often weaken or loosen due to gum disease. When you neglect tooth care by failing to brush and floss regularly, a thin layer of plaque tends to develop over the surface of your teeth. This gradually hardens into tartar, which becomes conducive to bacteria growth. This can result in gum disease, which can cause you to lose a tooth if not treated in time.
Tooth Loss Treatments
Adult teeth are typically permanent and can last for a lifetime. However, there may be situations where you end up losing one or more of your natural teeth. In that case, your dentist may suggest bridges, dentures, or implants for treatment.
Bridges are replacement teeth that are attached to a metal frame and supported by a dental crown on each side. The crowns caps your natural teeth to support the replacement ones and keep them in place. The new teeth in a dental bridge are typically made of porcelain to help them look just like your original teeth. Crowns and inlays or onlays are used to cap damaged or decayed teeth. If you want to learn more about the difference between crowns vs inlays and onlays, give us a call.
Dentures are a removable set of replacement teeth that cover missing tooth sockets. The replacement teeth are attached to a plastic foundation that may be linked by a metal framework. Dentures are generally customized to fit inside of your mouth and resemble the color of your natural teeth.
An implant is efficient for replacing a single missing tooth. It is essentially a screw-like titanium post which is inserted into an empty tooth socket in order to provide a sturdy foundation for a crown. Before producing an implant for you, a dentist would take a CT scan of your teeth to evaluate the size of your jawbone where your tooth is missing. Once an implant is securely in place, a crown similar to the color of your tooth is placed atop it.
Advancements in prosthetic dentistry have made it possible to have your bite force and smile back to normal even if you lose one or more of your original teeth. If you have a loose tooth, schedule an appointment with us at River's Edge Dental by calling us at (406) 315-5882 today.
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