In our previous blog, we took a look at what happens when dental decay is allowed to progress and work its way deeper and deeper into your teeth. Indeed, acting sooner rather than later is always a great rule of thumb when ensuring your smile’s health, but sometimes infection can progress past a reasonable extent before you even notice there is an issue. Because of this, tooth loss occurs at a higher rate than many people expect. In today’s blog, your Lake Orion, MI dentist discusses how losing a tooth can significantly impact both your oral function and appearance, and how dental restorations can address these concerns.
Sources of Tooth Loss
Just as there are countless sources of harm that can negatively affect your smile, there is more than one way to lose a tooth as an adult. Indeed, millions of adults face the effects of dental decay every year in some form or another, often as a result of a sub-optimal preventive care routine.
Another source of tooth loss comes from periodontal infections such as gum disease. This is different from decay, as it involves bacteria getting comfortable beneath your gum line on your teeth roots, where they begin to form plaque and tartar buildup. Without proper care, structures can become alarmingly loose as the tissues that house them become infected, leading directly to tooth loss.
Other circumstances include physical accidents from sports games, accidentally tripping and falling face-first into the pavement, and much more. Reach out to our team today to learn how you can take proper precautions when caring for your teeth.
How Function Plays a Role
While your appearance is the first factor that experiences an effect from tooth loss, you will quickly learn that your oral function is not far behind. Indeed, your bite relies heavily on the secure connection established by your roots and jaw bone in order to properly bite and chew without falter. When one or more of these structures are missing, your bite must strain to accommodate for the missing structures, making these tasks more difficult to complete.
What’s more? Once you experience losing a structure, your chances of losing adjacent ones increase exponentially, meaning you could face the possibility of a gap that spans several spaces.
Highly-Lifelike Treatment
In order to address tooth loss, our team can help create and place custom dentures and bridges to complete your smile. Based on your situation, your dentist will go over your options with you and let you know what the best course of action might be.
Learn More Today
To learn more about the need for replacement teeth and restoring your oral function, contact Lake Orion Family Dentistry in Lake Orion, MI by calling 248-693-6213 to schedule your next appointment today.
