Permanent Tooth Loss Prevention in Terrace
What Happens
The most delinquent culprit behind permanent tooth loss is oral disease. In fact, most people lose their teeth as a result of untreated, advanced tooth decay that has compromised the tooth’s viability to a point where restoration is no longer possible. Many others, whose gums and underlying bone tissue have been weakened by periodontal disease, also display significantly higher vulnerability to tooth loss. Another, less common, cause of tooth loss is trauma. When the head, mouth or jaw is struck with high force, the associated impact can be strong enough to dislodge teeth from the bone. Contact us for permanent tooth loss prevention in Terrace.
How Can It Be Prevented?
Preventing permanent tooth loss starts with good oral hygiene habits. Remember to brush twice per day, floss once per day and visit your dentist regularly to protect your oral health. If infection has begun in your mouth, we urge you to seek the appropriate dental care to prevent your teeth from deteriorating to a point at which extraction is the only remaining option. One of the best ways to prevent tooth loss from trauma is to wear a mouthguard. At your next appointment, talk to your dentist about customized mouth- and sport-guards to protect your unique smile.
Why Should It Be Treated?
While the extraction of a damaged tooth may help to eliminate localized infection and pain, there are numerous negative effects of tooth loss. Because each tooth in your mouth exerts forces onto its neighbouring teeth, every tooth plays a critical role in maintaining the alignment and health of your dentition. Untreated tooth loss can cause serious distortions not only in the positioning of the teeth, but also in the shape of your face. Crowded teeth are also more susceptible to decay at the points of contact. The added stress in your bite can lead to discomfort, and add to the difficulty of eating with missing teeth. Many people experience speech impediment in conjunction with gaps in the front of their mouths.
How Can It Be Treated?
Partial Dentures
Removable partial dentures usually consist of replacement teeth attached to pink or gum-coloured plastic bases, connected by a metal framework. They attach to your natural teeth with metal clasps or devices, called precision attachments. Precision attachments are generally more aesthetic than metal clasps because they are nearly invisible. Crowns can be placed onto your natural teeth to improve the fit of a removable partial denture; they are usually required with attachments.
Snap-On Smile®
This modern cross between dentures and veneers offers our patients a beautiful smile solution without the need for complex dental procedures. Composed of very thin but extremely strong resin material, Snap-On Smile® fits right over the natural teeth to provide a complete smile make-over for patients seeking a feasible and comfortable tooth replacement option.
Bridge
A bridge replaces missing teeth with artificial teeth by literally bridging the gap, where one or more teeth may have been. The two teeth adjacent to the gap are prepared to serve as support posts for the bridge, which can be fabricated from gold, metal alloys, porcelain or a combination of these. Unlike a removable bridge, which you can take out and clean, a fixed bridge can only be removed by a dentist.
Dental Implant
Demand is growing for dental implants! Their natural look and feel makes dental implants a popular alternative to other tooth replacement treatments. Dental implants are surgically inserted into the jaw or cheek bone to mimic the roots of natural teeth. Here they serve as a highly stable base for individual replacement teeth, bridges or a denture. Candidates for dental implants need to have healthy gums and adequate bone levels to support the implant. Each Horizon Dental patient, exploring the option of implants, is required to undergo thorough evaluation by one of our dentists to determine eligibility for implant treatment.
Preventing Tooth Loss
We can help prevent loss of teeth under expert care.