Dr. Mogell Dental Blog

Boca Raton Cosmetic Dentist

What Would You Do If You Lost A Tooth

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

People often ask me what I would do if I lost my teeth. For many of us, no matter how much we brush and floss or how well we care for our smile we can still lose a tooth to a cavity, gum disease or injury. I lost one of my front teeth 3 years ago due to an old injury. My choice was to replace my missing tooth with an implant. I later had a crown placed on top of the implant. This procedure is the best dentistry can offer today for replacement of missing teeth.

If you have lost many teeth and are considering dentures, you might want to seek out information on denture alternatives involving implants. Complete or partial dentures are often unstable and move about the mouth – usually at the worst time. Also, when you lose teeth, the bone that supported the teeth is no longer needed. Your body goes through a resorption process and that bone disappears. This greatly affects the fit of a denture. When substantial bone loss has occurred, a well fitting, comfortable denture is sometimes impossible. You must also take into account that each persons ability to adapt to wearing a denture is different – for some they can be intolerable and uncomfortable.

Dental implants replace the roots of the teeth, stimulating and protecting the jaw bone. They can function as individual teeth, as in my case, or as a mechanism to hold a denture securely and tightly in place.

The good news is that most of the time, replacing a missing tooth is not an emergency. You have the time to make an informed decision to consider what the best treatment options are for you.

We can help if you have further questions regarding implant dentistry and the infinite possibilities. Please call us at 561-394-9000 to discuss implants or any other dental procedure.

Kenneth A. Mogell, D.M.D.