Losing baby teeth feels like a celebration. It’s not only a sign of growing up, but it may also come with some spare change from the Tooth Fairy! Losing your permanent teeth as an adult, on the other hand, is never as fun. Adult tooth loss can signal that something is wrong. Whether it’s due to infection, decay, or even an unforeseen accident, losing your teeth is a sign you need help. At the MDICA in Springfield, MO, we offer ways to restore your permanent teeth. With dental implants, we can replace missing teeth with natural-looking, durable restorations. These crowns, bridges, or dentures keep your smile both beautiful and functional.
The Effect of Losing a Permanent Tooth
Babies are actually born with their baby teeth below their gums. Over time, these teeth erupt, forming your first smile. As a child, you learn to use teeth to smile and chew until they fall out naturally, one by one. Then, your adult teeth begin to grow in their place. These are your permanent teeth, meant to last you a lifetime.
However, issues like decay or infection can affect the longevity of your smile by damaging the gum and bone tissue that hold teeth in place. In fact, gum disease (or periodontal disease) is actually the number one cause of adult tooth loss. When the infection begins deteriorating your jawbone, you may eventually lose teeth or need them extracted to protect your oral health.
But once you lose permanent teeth, you’re stuck with some permanent problems.
Adult teeth are essential for chewing and speaking. Without teeth, these tasks become more difficult. Permanent teeth also stimulate your jawbone every time you chew, keeping it healthy and full. But without stimulation, your jaw will gradually lose bone mass and volume. Even with traditional tooth replacement methods like dentures or bridges, bone loss will persist. Only dental implant treatment, which embeds in your jaw like a natural tooth root, is able to stop bone loss in its tracks.
Restoring Permanent Teeth With Dental Implants
At the MDICA in Springfield, MO, we offer dental implant treatment to restore broken smiles. If you’re missing one or more of your permanent teeth, we have a permanent solution for you!
These implants are titanium screws that we embed in your jawbone. By replacing your natural tooth roots, these screws help maintain your jaw health. Then, with implants providing a strong foundation, we can anchor restorations like crowns, bridges, or dentures to restore your smile. These false teeth will fill any gaps in your smile, improve your ability to chew, and keep your grin happy and healthy.
Unfortunately, not everyone is eligible for implant treatment. Some patients may have lost too much bone structure, or may still be dealing with severe infections that prevent tooth replacement. But at our office, we can help you find a solution that works for you!
Dental Implant Treatment 101
Here is how replacing permanent teeth at the MDICA in Springfield, MO, works:
- Free consultation: We begin with a free implant consultation. There, we’ll assess the quality of your jaw and determine if you’re eligible for dental implants. At the MDICA in Springfield, MO, we often use mini dental implants to replace teeth, which are smaller and require less bone. During this appointment, we’ll also assess whether you need other treatment, such as for gum disease or bone loss.
- Any preparatory procedures: If you need preparatory work like bone grafting or gum disease treatment, we’ll address those issues first. In most cases, patients can skip preparatory bone grafts when getting mini implants, saving them time and money.
- Your placement appointment: Once your smile is ready, we’ll schedule your placement appointment. At the MDICA in Springfield, MO, we only offer one-piece dental implants. These implants are a single titanium screw, making their placement incredibly simple. With these implants, we will place the titanium post in just one visit.
- Recovery period: After traditional implant treatment, many patients need to wait months for their gums and bone to heal. But because we use one-piece implants, your healing process will be much faster. In general, you’ll only need to wait a few weeks before your implants are totally secure.
- Final restoration: Typically, we can place your final restoration right after we place your implants in the same visit. But for those who need to wait a few weeks, we’ll provide you with a temporary crown, bridge, or denture to use in the meantime. Then, once you’re ready, we’ll replace them with the final restoration.
Book a Free Implant Consultation To Discuss Replacing Your Permanent Teeth
Losing baby teeth is a rite of passage, but losing permanent teeth is a big problem. Even one missing tooth can affect your ability to eat and to speak clearly. Any adult tooth lost will need to be replaced, preferably as soon as possible. At the MDICA in Springfield. MO, we offer dental implant treatment to restore your smile. Using one-piece implants, we can make your treatment simple and quick. And if we use mini dental implants, you may even be able to skip preparatory work like a bone graft. To replace your permanent teeth with a permanent solution, book a free consultation with us!
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