When you lose a tooth (or two or three), then you have an embarrassing gap in your smile, one that could eventually impact your overall oral health too! Fortunately, your Woodland Hills, CA, dentist helps our patients complete their smile and avoid the complications of tooth loss with lifelike and durable dental prosthetics, such as our dental bridges!
The Health Risks of Tooth Loss
How does tooth loss impact our smile? Well, when we lose a tooth this leaves a gap in your smile. The gap could make eating difficult, impact your ability to speak clearly, and could also place pressure on your jaw joints, increasing the risk of TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding). In addition, surrounding teeth could drift from position, leading to misalignment that not only changes your smile’s appearance, but also leads to a higher risk of tooth decay and gum disease. To protect the health, beauty, and stability of your smile, you need to address your missing teeth.
Creating a Dental Bridge
For people with between one and three lost teeth in a row, we may suggest a custom dental bridge to restore the smile. A bridge consists of new teeth, known as pontics, with crowns attached to each end. The prosthetic will be custom-made based on detailed impressions and images taken of your smile, and created using durable and lifelike materials. The crown portion will be placed on natural teeth, known as abutment teeth, which requires removing structure from these teeth. The prosthetic could stay in place for between 10 and 15 years.
Supporting Them With Dental Implants
To prevent abutment teeth from losing structure, and to ensure your new prosthetic last for decades to come, we may suggest using dental implants to address your missing teeth. We insert a biocompatible implant created from strong titanium into the jawbone. They act as new tooth roots, and bond with the jawbone. We then attach the crown to the implants, so you now enjoy a prosthetic that could last decades to come. If you have any questions about addressing tooth loss with a custom-made and long-lasting prosthetic, or if you would like to learn how to avoid tooth loss altogether, then please contact our team today. We want to help you enjoy your healthiest smile possible, one that fills you with confidence.
Do You Have Questions About Replacing Missing Teeth?
We would like to help you enjoy a full and beautiful smile with a custom prosthetic. For more information on addressing gaps in your smile, then please schedule a consultation by calling Woodland Hills Dental Arts in Woodland Hills, CA today at 818-347-5124. We also proudly welcome patients from Thousand Oaks, Westlake, Encino, Sherman Oaks, and all surrounding communities.