Many patients visit our Annapolis, MD dentist office looking to learn more about their restorative dentistry options. At the Annapolis dental office of Dr. Vernon Sheen, our goal is to provide personalized dentistry designed to meet the unique needs of each patient in a respectful, compassionate manner. We recommend replacing missing teeth sooner rather than later because of the following concerns that they cause within your smile:
Cosmetic Concerns
When you are missing one or more teeth, this may dramatically affect the appearance of your smile. You may notice that you are less likely to smile, laugh, or speak in public due to the discomfort you have with your teeth. While cosmetic concerns aren’t necessarily dental emergencies, they do affect how you perform in your personal and professional life. We do not want to see our patients hiding their smiles due to cosmetic concerns. Missing teeth also make your smile more prone to dental shifting. If you’ve undergone orthodontic work in the past, missing teeth can mess up your alignment because your teeth will shift to try to fill in the empty space. However, if you promptly replace a missing tooth, you can maintain the current position of your teeth.
Functionality Concerns
Your teeth, gums, and jawbone work together when performing daily tasks like chewing and speaking. When you are missing one or more teeth, this impacts the effectiveness of your smile when performing these tasks. You may notice that certain foods are more difficult to chew or certain works are harder to pronounce when you are missing a tooth. Your other dental structures must compromise for the missing tooth when performing these tasks, creating new pressure points within your smile and making you more likely to develop further dental damages. Additionally, you are more likely to suffer from tooth decay and gum disease if you are missing one or more teeth. This is because the gaps that missing teeth create within your smile are the perfect hiding spots for bacteria and food residue.
Know Your Tooth Replacement Options
At our dentist office, we offer dental implants and dental bridges as our primary tooth replacement options. Dental bridges rely on the external support of your surrounding teeth while dental implants gain their support from a surgically implanted titanium post that fuses together with your jawbone. Every smile and every person is different, meaning the best way to know which tooth replacement option will work best for you is to schedule a consultation with Dr. Sheen. He will be able to tell you which tooth replacement option will most accurately meet your needs. New patients, please call The Annapolis Center For Dental Health & Wellness at (443) 482- 5202 or schedule an appointment online.