Importance of Tooth Replacement on Dentistry
Unless you have benefited from a restorative dental procedure, you may not quite appreciate the importance of restorative dentistry. It is the only specialty in dentistry that gives hope to people who have lost their teeth prematurely. Some of the ways to lose natural teeth include professional dental extractions or dental trauma. To appreciate the role of restorative dentistry, however, you must understand what it means to lose your teeth and the kind of problems that develop afterward.
What Is Restorative Dentistry?
It is a specialty of dentistry that deals with the repair and restoration of damaged teeth. Whether your teeth are cracked, broken, or missing, restorative dentists can help restore them. Even though restorative dentistry is different from cosmetic dentistry, the results from a restorative dental procedure will impact the aesthetic appearance of your smile. While there are different dimensions to restorative dentistry, a crucial one is tooth replacement. It entails procedures that can help replace your lost teeth, whether one or several of them in a row. Tooth restorations in Tuscaloosa, AL, are performed differently, depending on the kind of procedure you would prefer. Some way to restore missing teeth include:
- Using dentures – full or partial dentures
- Dental bridges
- Dental implants
What Happens If You Don’t Replace a Missing Tooth?
It is easy to think that losing one of your natural teeth does not have major consequences in your mouth. This is why people overlook tooth loss, especially when the affected teeth are the back teeth. However, here are some things you should know about what happens when you lose your teeth:
- Teeth begin to shift – although this is not something you will notice immediately you have lost your teeth, it will happen eventually. When there is a gap in your mouth, teeth begin to shift in a way to fill up the existing space. Over time, you may need to consult an orthodontist near you for a realignment procedure for your shifting teeth.
- The recession of the gums – When the guns are inactive, they begin to recede. This entails pulling away from teeth in the region of the lost tooth.
- Deterioration of the bone tissue – the bone tissue of your mouth is the jawbone. When there are no teeth to support, the jawbone breaks down slowly and gradually. The inactivity thereof is the reason for this disintegration of the bone tissue. In that case, regardless of the restorative option chosen to replace your lost tooth, they would be ill-fitting. Dentures and dental bridges tend to slip off for patients who have stayed a long time without teeth. As for dental implants, you would only get them after a bone grafting surgery to restore the health of your jawbone.
- A change in the appearance of your face – even without smiling, your face could change when you lose teeth. It is especially the case when you have more than two teeth missing in a row. Teeth play a big role in supporting the facial muscles. Therefore, when several of your teeth are missing, your face may appear droopy. Such a case may make you look much older than you are.
- It may cause TMJ disorder – it is a disorder that affects the connective tissue of your jawbone and skull. This joint is called the temporomandibular joint. When wrongful pressure is applied to the joint, it can result in jaw pain and other oral issues. This may happen when you lose teeth because of the uneven application of pressure and force on one side of your jaw when you move your mouth to eat or speak.
Benefits of Tooth Replacement Procedures
- Restores your confidence – you no longer have to worry about people staring at the gap in your mouth when you smile.
- Restoring the beauty of your smile – after a restorative procedure, people will notice a significant improvement in the appearance of your smile.
- Restores the functionality of the mouth – activities like chewing or speaking are very hard to accomplish without teeth. It becomes even difficult to use your mouth properly when you have multiple missing teeth in a row. Besides, would you want to deal with challenges like frequent drooling for the rest of your life simply because you have lost a tooth?
- Restoring the fullness and youthfulness of your face