What are missing teeth?
Missing teeth are characterised by having gaps in your smile where healthy teeth would once have existed.
What causes missing teeth?
Gum disease
The biggest cause of missing teeth amongst adults in the UK is advanced gum disease, known by the clinical term periodontal disease. The onset of gum disease causes the gum and bone underneath your teeth to deteriorate, resulting in teeth becoming loose. By this stage, it may be in the interests of your oral health to remove these failing teeth and replace them with a custom-made restoration.
Trauma
A severe knock to the face has the potential to completely knock a tooth out. Such an injury may also cause loose teeth. In many cases, loose teeth can be salvaged as long as you come in to see us as soon as possible after the injury. However, in some cases, it may not be possible to save your natural tooth.
Infection
Severe decay can cause a dental infection, characterised by the living tissues (pulp) within the tooth dying. Root canal treatment is instrumental in treating an infected tooth, though in cases where the deepest layers of pulp are compromised or where there is not enough healthy tooth matter to place a crown, extracting the tooth may be best for your oral health.
What problems do missing teeth cause?
Missing teeth can disrupt your oral function, hinder your confidence and leave you more vulnerable to infections and gum disease. Whilst you may think that losing just a single tooth may not cause too much of an issue for your mouth, this can actually lead to problems like tooth wear and cause teeth to move out of position.
Multiple missing teeth also cause such issues and can make speaking and chewing a real challenge. Don’t worry, though; once you have had treatment to rehabilitate your mouth and smile, you’ll find these everyday actions become completely normal again.
Why choose Denmark Street?
We are dentists who specialise in diagnosing, planning and rehabilitating missing teeth. Part of achieving a successful and predictable outcome is taking the time to explore all avenues so that we can establish which treatment route best fits your personal and clinical needs.
Our state-of-the-art digital scanner and CBCT scanner give us an excellent insight into the health of your jawbone and the condition of your mouth. Our dentists can use this vital information and apply their dexterity, knowledge, and experience to perform your implant surgery and oversee the creation of a bespoke crown, set of dentures, or fixed bridge.
Whilst non-implant-based treatments are both cost-effective and work well as a type of tooth replacement treatment, we highly recommend implants. As highly experienced implant dentists, we see just how life-changing they are every single day.
Here are a few reasons why you should choose implants as a solution to tooth loss:
- They protect the jawbone from receding.
- They can anchor dentures in position for better chewing and speaking.
- They improve the appearance of your facial profile.
- They don’t require any special attention. You can treat them like your natural teeth.
- They can renew your desire to smile in public.
