arc dental prosthesis lies on a wooden backgroundIt goes without saying that losing a natural tooth is nobody’s first choice. What’s more? Many individuals take the steps necessary to maintain a healthy grin for life, taking care to attend routine checkups, pay mind to what foods they consume and their effects, and brushing and flossing routinely at home. Even still, random accidents such as experiencing a physical injury or failing to seek treatment in a timely manner can lead to a range of concerns, making loss a larger possibility than many might expect. In today’s blog, your Leawood, KS dentist examines just how real the possibility of losing a tooth is, and how our team can help in the event of multiple missing structures.

How Infection Spreads

When taking a look at losing a permanent structure, we see that there are a variety of threats that might be the cause. For instance, maybe you tripped over a crack in a sidewalk and fell face-first into the pavement, causing physical damage to your teeth. Or, perhaps, you are an active sports player who became injured during a play. Most commonly, however, loss is the result of dangerous infection that has compromised your teeth.

Indeed, there is a myriad of concerns that can lead to infection, but more often than not, it is due to falling short on your preventive dental routine. Issues such as gum disease, dental decay, and more are spearheaded by oral bacteria that have been left to run amok in your smile. They feed off of the foods and beverages you consume, and items such as sugars cause them to secrete dangerous acids. To learn more about this process, reach out to our team today.

The Way it Impacts You

While your smile’s appearance is certainly one of the more obvious concerns when you lose one or more teeth, your oral function takes a major hit too. For instance, your ability to bite, chew, and eat is made possible because your structures equally absorb and support the pressure of your bite. If even one tooth is missing, your bite must strain to readjust and accommodate the gap.

What’s more? The root of a structure is the only thing stimulating your jaw bone to keep it strong and healthy, meaning once it is gone, the bone will begin to experience degradation over time. To learn more, contact our office.

A Lifelike Bridge

If you think one missing tooth is an issue, you are not going to like the effects of missing several. Indeed, because infection targets your teeth and is not inherently attached to only the structure in question, your chances of losing several adjacent teeth increase exponentially. Fortunately, we can help by providing a lifelike restoration known as a dental bridge to span the gap.

Learn More Today

To learn more about the benefits of dental bridges and restoring your grin, contact Dreem Dentistry in Leawood, KS by calling 913-681-5500 to schedule your next appointment with our team today.