If you’re like many people and put dental care on the back burner for years, you were probably shocked when you were told you were going to lose your first tooth.
Whether it was the result of tooth decay or gum disease, a lost tooth usually isn’t due just to a problem with that tooth — it’s related to problems that affect your entire mouth. And it’s a warning sign that your other teeth may be at risk.
But if you take the right steps, you don’t have to lose the rest of your teeth. We can save your smile and restore it to its former beauty.
Act Quickly
The first tooth may have been lost because you didn’t act quickly enough with preventive or restorative care. Don’t make the same mistake again. Take action now to ensure the rest of your teeth are protected.
Once one tooth is lost, all the rest of your teeth are subjected to excess force as they now have one less tooth to share the load. And because that tooth braced others to the side of it, those teeth are now vulnerable to drifting, which can start as soon as the one tooth is lost.
The sooner you act, the more likely you are to be able to protect the rest of your teeth.
Triage
When we evaluate your teeth, we will have to decide just how many of your teeth we can save. We want to save as many of your natural teeth as possible, but sometimes we have to let one or more teeth go because they are damaged or are unsupported by gum and bones. If we don’t remove these teeth, they can foster infection that will threaten not just your teeth but dental implants or other restorations.
Strategic Use of Implants and Bridges
Dental implants are normally the best way to replace your lost tooth. But sometimes a dental bridge is a better choice, such as when neighboring teeth are damaged. In this case, a dental bridge can cover those teeth with dental crowns that not only protect and restore the damaged teeth, but support an artificial tooth, known as a pontic, between them.What we want to avoid is a removable partial denture. Removable partial dentures are dentures that are supported by neighboring teeth using hooks and clasps. These partial dentures aren’t very secure, don’t look attractive, can be uncomfortable, and, worst of all, can endanger your remaining teeth. The hooks and clasps can cause wear on the teeth they touch and can trap food and bacteria against the teeth.
Commitment
The most important thing for saving the rest of your teeth is commitment. You have to be committed to doing what’s right for your teeth. That means not just today, but in the future. And it means not just agreeing to the procedures we recommend as part of your full mouth rejuvenation, but also committing to caring for your teeth at home and making regular dental care appointments.
With your commitment and our expertise, we are confident we can save your smile. To learn how we will do it, please call (843) 706-2999 for an appointment with a Hilton Head cosmetic dentist at Beyond Exceptional Dentistry.
