Missing a Tooth? We Can Fix That!

How Citrus Affects Your Oral Health
March 31, 2018
What to Do About Dry Mouth
April 13, 2018

hockey player with a missing tooth

Missing teeth is more common than you might think. According to studies, around 69% of Americans are missing at least one tooth. Your risk for tooth loss increases as you age, especially if you don’t follow basic oral hygiene practices. More than 36 million Americans don’t have any teeth left. Many of these people still need the functionality and health benefits that teeth provide. Missing teeth lead to many problems that can be combated through receiving dental implants or dentures. Find out how we can help restore your smile if you have one or more missing teeth!

 

Missing a Tooth? Many Are!

You only get two sets of teeth during your lifetime. The first set—the baby teeth—are meant to fall out eventually. This generally happens starting around age 6 or 7. The teeth that grow in are the permanent, adult teeth, and they are the ones you have to take care of the rest of your life. That puts the pressure on you to get through many decades with the same set of teeth even though you only had the first set for a few years. Luckily, your teeth are the hardest substance in your body. They are made up of about 96% pure mineral, which is why they are so hard.

 

Your teeth can stand up to 200 pounds of pressure when biting down (if they had to). However, despite how hard they are, they can still decay, erode and become weak over time. If you don’t care for your teeth properly, or if you get a mouth injury, you could find yourself missing a tooth.

 

close up of a woman's mouth with a missing tooth

Facts About Missing Teeth

Missing a tooth is starting to become normal in the United States, even though it shouldn’t be. Oral hygiene habits are getting worse in adults and children alike. In fact, the National Institutes of Health still reports that tooth decay is the “most prevalent chronic disease” in the nation.

  • The American College of Prosthodontists reports that over 120 million Americans are missing at least one tooth.
  • Out of about 325 million residents in the U.S., that’s a little more than 1/3rd of people missing a tooth!
  • 36 million Americans don’t have teeth at all. These are generally people of older age or those who didn’t take good care of their teeth.
  • “Edentulism” is the term used to describe someone who is toothless.
  • Senior citizens (the geriatric population) in the U.S. has about 23 million toothless people and about 12 million more who are missing all the teeth in one of their jaws.
  • A healthy adult mouth has 32 total teeth. However, most people have the 4 wisdom teeth removed.
  • Americans between 20 and 64 only have an average of 25 total teeth. That means many people are missing at least 3 teeth.

 

Are You Missing a Tooth?

You don’t have to get nervous if you are missing a tooth, as there are dental services that can restore your smile once more. However, we do recommend that you have a meticulous oral hygiene routine if you are missing one or more teeth. Many people lose a tooth because they aren’t brushing and flossing their teeth. If you don’t do these basics at least a few times a day, you will find yourself with tooth decay, gum disease, bad breath and other oral health problems.

 

If you let poor hygiene continue, you will continue to lose teeth. You don’t want to simply live with missing a tooth, because it can cause you health problems. Some patients will see that when they are missing a tooth, and the opposing tooth grows longer to fill the gap. A missing tooth can also cause bone loss in your jaw. Your speech might change and your chewing ability will definitely be affected. Plus, your gums become weaker in the area where you are missing a tooth. That loss of support can cause surrounding teeth to fall out.

 

Dentist explaining a dental implant to a patient

Get Your Smile Back

With your missing teeth, you have a few options for getting your smile back:

  • Dental Implants – This is the best choice for people who are only missing one tooth instead of many. You have a hole to fill when you are missing a tooth. We insert a metal post into your jawbone where you have a hole in your smile. Once that metal post heals to your gums and bone, we then provide you a custom-made dental implant. This implant will look exactly like your other teeth and natural to your smile. If you take care of your teeth, an implant can last 10-20 years.
  • Dental Bridge – This is similar to a dental implant, except it “bridges” the gap between several teeth missing in a row. If you are missing 3 teeth or more on one side, we make metal posts for the two ends of your teeth. The teeth crowns are all attached at the sides, making a sort of tooth bridge in your mouth. You only need the two end posts instead of every tooth having a post.
  • Dentures – For full tooth loss, your best bet for having a beautiful smile once more is dentures. These can be removable sets of teeth or they can be secured into your upper and lower jaw so they don’t come out. People who have severe gum disease may have gums that are too gummy to hold dentures.

If you are missing a tooth, don’t let another day go by! Restore your smile and avoid more oral health problems by getting your tooth restored. Call Family & Cosmetic Dentistry of the Rockies today at (970) 267-0993 for your free consultation and get started on getting your smile back!