Losing a tooth as an adult can be a disturbing situation to find yourself in, but rest assured that you are not alone. Tooth loss among adults in Australia is more common than you may think. You must visit your dentist regularly and maintain excellent mental hygiene to prevent tooth loss. However, if you are missing a tooth or need to undergo a tooth extraction, it is not the end of the world. You can replace your missing tooth or teeth, although, unfortunately, nothing will be as good as the real thing. Nevertheless, the significant advances in dental technology mean that tooth replacement can restore the appearance of your smile and the function of your mouth and prevent further tooth loss, reducing complications in the future. Tooth replacement can also help you maintain your self-confidence and self-esteem, allowing you to smile happily and confidently.
What are the causes of tooth loss?
The main causes of tooth loss are tooth decay and gum disease. Tooth decay and gum disease occur as a result of poor dental hygiene and missed dental checkups. You should visit your dentist at least once every six months or more often if you suffer from dental health complications. If you avoid your dentist, then a layer of plaque and tartar can build up on your teeth, and bacteria in the plaque and tartar will release acids and toxins that can damage your teeth and gums.
As the teeth and gums become weaker, they can become wobbly and eventually fall out or may need to be extracted if the symptoms worsen. Tooth decay and gum disease are still very common in Australia in comparison to other similar countries; therefore, you need to take better care of your teeth and visit your dentist more often to avoid becoming part of the statistics.
Other than tooth decay and gum disease, there are other causes of tooth loss. Smoking is a major cause of dental health complications and missing teeth. Speak to your dentist about smoking cessation to prevent missing teeth. Some medical conditions can also result in missing teeth; these include high blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis. There are also certain medications that can affect your dental health and even result in missing teeth; some examples are medications that cause dry mouth, such as those used for lowering high blood pressure, lowering cholesterol, antidepressants and even some antihistamines. If you are on such medication, you must inform your dentist. A poor diet and vitamin deficiency can also cause missing teeth; therefore, maintaining good dental hygiene, looking after your health and well-being and making good lifestyle choices are important for healthy teeth.
Dental implants
To replace your missing teeth, find out about Dental implants Sydney Sydney from your dentist. Dental implants are small medical-grade titanium screws that can be inserted into the sockets of your missing teeth and work as sturdy foundations for a replacement crown or a set of dentures. Dental implants are great for patients who have lost their teeth early on in life. Once in place, dental implants can last a lifetime. The crown or dentures may need to be replaced every 5 to 10 years; however, with good dental hygiene and regular dental checkups, the dental implant should remain fixed in place as they would become integrated into your jaw. Osteoblasts form around the titanium implant and lock it in place so that it can only be removed by fracture.
Why titanium dental implants?
Titanium is biocompatible, allowing osseointegration to happen, and it is also non-corrosive and non-allergenic and will become a permanent fixture in your mouth without causing any adverse reactions; this is why titanium is the best choice for dental implants.
Titanium dental implants have been used since the 1960s and are a tried and tested method of replacing missing teeth. Even the first titanium dental implant lasted for the whole of the patient’s life. Therefore, if you look after your dental implants, they will last for the rest of your life too. Speak to your dentist today to learn more about replacing your missing teeth with dental implants. Dental implants look and feel like the natural thing, so you can restore the appearance, feel and function of your mouth. The process can take approximately six months, which means you need to speak to your dentist sooner rather than later. Soon you will have replacement teeth, and no one will even notice the difference, neither will you!
Disclaimer
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.