Whether you have a single lost tooth or multiple missing teeth, it is important to replace them as soon as possible. Missing teeth are a serious oral health concern. If left untreated, missing teeth can cause shifting teeth, overcrowding, gum disease, and even further tooth loss. When the structure of a tooth is suddenly missing, it impacts the health of the jaw bone.
Dr. Sulekha Agrawal treats missing teeth in Columbia, MD. She works one on one with patients who have lost their teeth or need some extracted. Dr. Agrawal will evaluate your current oral health, discuss your goals and budget, and perform any diagnostics before suggesting the best solution to replace your teeth. In addition to missing teeth, she helps patients discover comfortable solutions for an array of dental concerns.
Common Missing Teeth Problems
Our mouths are designed to have a certain amount of teeth. They help us chew food, speak, and hold the natural shape of our face. If even a one tooth is gone, it can affect these factors and your oral health. Missing teeth can affect the aesthetics of the smile and cause facial sagging if there are enough missing teeth. In addition, untreated missing teeth can cause your teeth to shift, overcrowding, gum disease, tooth decay, bite alignment problems, and more missing teeth. Patients who develop gum disease are also more prone to problems like heart disease and diabetes.
When the structure of a tooth is suddenly missing, it impacts the health of the jaw bone too. The lack of the tooth root causes the bone to not regenerate. This leads to bone loss in the jaw. The only treatment option to help with this is dental implants.
Treat Missing Teeth in Columbia, MD
Dr. Agrawal will help determine which restorative dental option is best to meet your specific oral health needs:
- Dental Implants: Implants replace teeth at the root and can be used to secure bridges or dentures. When missing teeth are replaced with implants, patients can avoid problems like overcrowding, tooth decay, and even further bone loss. Implants improve the look and function of patient’s smiles. This is the only solution that will replace the teeth at the root and help prevent bone loss in the jaw.
- Dental Bridges: A dental bridge is typically made up of multiple prosthetic teeth that replace gaps in a patient’s smile. The most beneficial type of bridge is a fixed bridge. Removable dental bridges are meant to be a temporary fix because they cannot fully restore the bite. When secured by dental implants, bridges last longer than if they were removable.
- Full and Partial Dentures: Dentures can replace multiple missing teeth or whole rows of teeth. Implant-secured dentures last longer than removable dentures because they stabilize the bite and support the jaw bone. This type of denture does not slip and does not require messy adhesives.
Contact Dr. Sulekha Agrawal Today
Are you missing one or more teeth? Restore your smile in our Columbia, MD dental office. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Agrawal online. Call Columbia Family Dental Care at 410.730.0011.