Tooth Loss
Dentist Fountain Valley, CA
 A tooth can be lost due to a variety of reasons, but whatever the cause, we can rebuild and restore. You do not have to live with tooth loss. Working with our team at Bijan Family Dental Practice, we can review the location of the missing tooth and discuss options specific to your needs. Replacing missing teeth is better for your bite, your ability to chew properly, your aesthetics, and it can even improve your speech. Let us review and make recommendations that fit your needs.
The Problem of Missing Teeth
There is often a misunderstanding from patients that a missing tooth is no big deal. In fact people may even think that a missing tooth can be positive for overcrowding. Unfortunately, this is bad information. In decades past, it was much more common for an adult to be missing at least one, if not multiple teeth. As they age, most people assume that more missing teeth are expected. Things have changed, we have learned more, we are living longer, and we want to live a more enjoyable life including the consumption of delicious foods and being social. Missing teeth can make that difficult or even impossible.
When a person loses a tooth there are some immediate and continued long term negative effects that occur. This includes bone loss, altering how we chew, changes to our bite, reducing foods from our diet, and even changes to our self esteem. Studies show that there are negative impacts to our physical health and to our mental health. We can prevent these negative effects by restoring missing teeth.
How Missing Teeth are Restored
When a patient loses a tooth, there are options for restoration. Options can include:
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Dental Crown: If a tooth structure is compromised or decayed, broken or fractured, but some structure is still present, we may be able to save the original structure. We do this by rebuilding the tooth with a dental crown. A dental crown is a customized tooth shaped cap that can be placed over a damaged or weakened tooth. It is the best option for keeping a tooth that has been through trauma.
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Dental Bridge or Partial Denture: When a tooth is entirely lost, we can restore the tooth with a dental bridge or partial denture. A dental bridge is permanently anchored in place with crowns customized to fit over healthy teeth or implants with a replacement tooth between. A partial denture is a removable device that is designed to clasp on and off with replacement teeth.
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Dental Implant: A dental implant can be used to replace a missing tooth by rebuilding the root system. This is a full restoration of the tooth completed through building the base directly from the bone. Once an anchor is established to the bone, we can then use it to anchor a crown, bridge, or denture.
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Implant Retained Denture: Using surgically implanted dental implants, we can stabilize a full denture firmly on the gum ridge. The denture will remain firmly in place when attached to the implants. There are options that allow the denture to be removed when needed, and options that permanently hold the denture in place. |
If you have a missing tooth, please contact Bijan Family Dental Practice at (714) 421-4494 to schedule a consultation appointment. We will be happy to discuss tooth replacement options for you.
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