In our last blog, we looked at treating minor tooth loss with a dental bridge. But what if you have a more complicated case of tooth loss, one leaving several gaps in your smile? In today’s blog, your Shrewsbury, MA, dentist talks about how we address complex tooth loss with our partial dentures.
The Causes and Impacts of Complex Tooth Loss
How do we lose several of our natural teeth? This could happen for a number of different reasons. For example, lack of treatment for a cavity or infection could lead to tooth loss, or require the teeth to be extracted to prevent the spread of infection. Injury could lead to this too. But the most common cause of advanced tooth loss is gum disease, or more accurately, the periodontitis stage. When we lose overall teeth across the arch of our smile, this could limit our meal options, complicate how clearly we speak, and could also lead to misalignment, as teeth shift due to the open gaps. You could be vulnerable to issues like TMJ disorder and even bruxism, and your jawbone could weaken to cause an older appearance! But we can help with a partial denture.
Creating a Custom Partial Denture
Our team will carefully examine your smile to assess the cause and severity of your missing teeth. We will then take images and impressions of your bite, which we use to design and craft the finished denture. The prosthetic will contain new and lifelike ceramic teeth set in an acrylic base that looks like natural gum tissue. The new teeth will fit snugly into the gaps of your smile, preventing misalignment and allowing you to smile with confidence and eat your favorite foods again! But how will we secure your new teeth in place?
Removable and Dental Implant Options
With a removable denture, you will wear your new teeth and metal clasps will attach to nearby teeth to secure them firmly in place. These are taken out for cleaning and soaking, and last about 5 to 10 years on average as the jaw ridge changes shape to necessitate replacement. With dental implants however, we insert new implants directly into the jaw that acts like roots, keeping your jaw intact so your fixed prosthetic can last for decades to come and ensure your jaw and facial structure remains intact. Our team can help you decide which option is best for you.
If you have any questions about how we help smiles with our partial prosthetics, then reach out to our team today to learn more. We want to help you smile with confidence again!
Schedule an Appointment for Our Partial Dentures
The team at Modern Dentistry of Shrewsbury in MA wants to help address your complicated tooth loss with lifelike results. To schedule an appointment with us, call our office today at 508-842-8838.
