Tooth Loss
Houston, TX
 Maintaining good oral hygiene is the most effective way of making your teeth last long. Poor oral hygiene, harmful habits, and old age are leading causes of tooth loss.
With advancements in dentistry, there are several remedies to fill those gaps between your teeth and make you chew and smile confidently once again. At Alexandra Garcia, DDS, MS, our team of professional dentists can analyze your condition and recommend the best procedures for your dental needs.
Causes of Tooth Loss
While losing a tooth may be an exciting moment for kids, it can definitely be a worrying sign for adults. Here are top reasons you may end up losing a permanent tooth:
Poor Eating Habits
Eating foods rich in sugar and carbohydrates can lead to cavities within your teeth. Harmful bacteria tend to thrive on the sugar on your teeth, and form acids that slowly deplete the tooth enamel. If left untreated, these cavities can penetrate the deeper layers of your teeth and gradually and eventually result in tooth loss.
Bad Oral Hygiene
Gum disease is often the cause of weak or loose teeth. When you do not take care of your teeth by brushing and flossing regularly, a thin film of plaque tends to form over your teeth. This slowly hardens into tartar, which becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. Bacteria can eventually cause gum disease, which can result in tooth loss if not repaired in time.
Accidents
Fights, falls, and accidents are common causes of tooth loss. Most of the time, they cause a chipped or damaged tooth. However, if the impact is severe, then a tooth may weaken and loosen up. To prevent such a possibility, it is important to take preventive measures such as wearing a mouthguard when playing contact sports.
Tooth Loss Treatments
Adult teeth are generally permanent and can last an entire lifetime. However, there may be scenarios where you end up losing one or more of your permanent teeth. In case that happens, your dentist is likely to recommend either bridges, dentures, or implants for treatment.
Bridges
Bridges are a set of replacement teeth that are fixed to a metal frame and supported by a crown on each side. The crowns cover your natural teeth to keep the replacement teeth securely in their position. The artificial teeth in a dental bridge are most commonly made of porcelain to help them look just like your natural teeth.
Dentures
Dentures are a removable set of replacement teeth to fill in the gaps left by missing teeth. The artificial teeth are affixed to a pink-colored plastic foundation that may be connected by a metal framework. Dentures are usually customized to fit inside your mouth and match the color of your original teeth.
Implants
An implant is best for replacing a single missing tooth. It consists of a screw-like titanium post which is placed into an empty tooth socket in order to provide a robust base for a crown. Before creating an implant for you, a dentist is likely to take a CT scan of your teeth to analyze the size of your jawbone at the site of the missing tooth. Once an implant is firmly in its position, a crown matching the color of your tooth is fixed atop it.
Latest prosthetic dentistry procedures have made it possible to have your bite force and smile restored even if you lose one or more of your permanent teeth. In case you have a weak or loose tooth, schedule an appointment with us at Alexandra Garcia, DDS, MS by calling us at (346) 250-2930 today.
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