Missing Teeth: Fascinating Facts And Figures

• Over 120 million American are missing at least one tooth

• Nearly 40 million Americans are missing ALL their teeth

• More than 20% of all adults 65 and older have lost all their teeth

• 90% of people who’ve lost all their teeth opt for dentures

• Various socioeconomic factors are correlated with tooth loss

• The most common ways people lose their teeth are through dental decay (cavities), gum/bone disease, and trauma to the teeth (such as getting hit in the face)

How Do Missing Teeth Make Life Harder?

Missing teeth cause many daily activities we take for granted to become difficult. Also, gaps in your smile can be quite detrimental to your physical and mental health and well-being. Think about these:

• Tooth loss makes eating many types of foods a challenge, which can lead to an unbalanced/unhealthy diet and even malnutrition. Not only will a bad diet/malnutrition further damage oral health, but the body won’t be functioning optimally, leaving you vulnerable to various diseases.

• Tooth loss can make speech difficult. Many sounds in English require all your teeth to articulate correctly.

• Tooth loss can lead to self-consciousness due to the look of missing teeth as well as an embarrassment due to difficulties eating and speaking. Self-consciousness can hurt self-esteem and lead to depression.

• Tooth loss leads to other problems within the mouth. A missing tooth provides much more space for bacteria to live, which can accelerate gum disease and decay of surrounding teeth. Also, nearby teeth might drift into the gap.

• When left untreated for too long, tooth loss could lead to loss of the jaw bone. Jaw bone loss could make it hard or even impossible to get implants in the future. On top of that, your facial structure will change as you lose bone.

As you can see, you should replace a missing tooth as soon as possible to minimize adverse effects on your mouth and the rest of your health.

Replace Those Missing Teeth With Dental Implants

Dental implants consist of a screw, a crown that looks like a real tooth, and a connector piece called an abutment that brings the screw and crown together.

They’re permanent implants that are meant to mimic the appearance of your actual tooth so that no one would know the difference.

If you’re in the Philadelphia area and missing a tooth, schedule an appointment with us so we can get your smile fixed up before any further damage.

Benefits Of Dental Implants

Dental implants provide numerous benefits to you and your smile

• Fused to the jaw for stability

• Unable to decay or die

• Reduces the risk of jawbone loss

• Durable

• Built to last a lifetime without replacements

• Looks exactly like a real tooth

 Preparing For Dental Implants

 Dental implants do require surgery, so you must prepare thoroughly. That means:

• Review your medical history – Discuss any medical conditions and all medications you take with your doctor. Your doctor may prescribe you antibiotics to prevent infection if you have certain conditions.

• Comprehensive dental exam – Have your teeth and gums thoroughly examined, so there are no surprises on surgery day. This involves taking x-rays and 3D images, as well as creating models of your teeth.

• A treatment plan – Everyone’s different. Your provider will work with you to create a plan that accounts for the number of teeth you need replacing, your general oral health, jawbone health, and other factors.

How Are Dental Implants Installed?

Everyone has a slightly different situation, so no two surgeries will be the same. However, dental implants generally happen in a couple of phases.

The First Phase

First, we apply whichever anesthesia option you chose. We then cut into the gum to expose the area of bone where the implant will be secured. From there, we drill into the bone and secure the screw. Then, we close up the wound and allow healing. During healing, Osseointegration happens. Osseointegration is when the jawbone fuses to the screw.

Sometimes, we’re able to secure the abutment during the first surgery as well.

The Second Phase

If the abutment wasn’t placed on the screw when the screw was secured into the bone, we would do that after the wound from the first surgery heals by making an incision to reveal the screw. We attach the abutment and allow it to recover for a few weeks.

When your gums are healed, we take several impressions of your mouth and teeth to create the crown. However, we must wait until the jawbone is strong enough to support the crown to place it.

Once we create and place the crown on your implant, no one would ever know you were missing a tooth!

Get Your Smile Back With Dental Implants In The Philadelphia Area

Having trouble eating or speaking because of missing teeth? Embarrassed by gaps in your smile?

If you’re looking for dental implants in the Philadelphia area to fix these things, look no further. Our experts will work with you to identify your individual oral needs so we can provide the best care possible for your unique situation.

By the end of it, you’ll forget you ever had missing teeth in the first place!

Schedule a dental implant consultation with our Jenkintown office today.