Tired of Having a Missing Tooth? A Bridge May Be Best

If you have been missing a tooth for some time but now finally have the money or dental insurance to treat the gap or problem, there are a lot of options you can consider. Taking care of your oral health is important if you want to stay healthy and if you want your teeth to last for a lifetime. Here are three things that you want to have done or that you should talk about with your dentist at the consolation and check-up appointment.

Deep Tissue Cleaning

You have to clean the tissue that has been without protection from a tooth, and that has been where the gap is. A dentist will have to do a deep-tissue cleaning to remove all of the plaque and bacteria that is in the area and so they can look to see whether there is any discoloration or other concerns. If you have gum disease or the early warning signs, this may be necessary throughout all your gums.

X-Ray

The dentist will want to take an x-ray of the mouth to see whether there are any bone fragments left behind in the gums where the tooth was or to see whether there are any structural issues that have to be treated before the gap is filled. An x-ray of the entire mouth may be needed if it has been a while since you've had one done or if the dentist wants to check some of the teeth in your mouth for cavities.

Bridge

A dental bridge is a fast and easy option for those that don't want major surgery to replace the tooth that is missing. The dentist will have a fake tooth secured in the mouth by the surrounding teeth, and the bridge will look white like the other teeth in your mouth. There are permanent bridges you can look into and bridges composed of different materials.

If you don't want a bridge, then a permanent implant is another possibility you can ask your health professional about. The implant will cost more money and will require more dental work since it has to be implanted and fused into the bone, but an implant is an option if you want to explore it. Talk with the dentist and find out what they think you need to do to treat the area that was left open and without a tooth, and make the change quickly to get that gap filled in. 


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