Missing Teeth Treatment In Phoenix & Ahwatukee, AZ

Types, Causes, Effects & Treatments

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Types of Missing Teeth

Partial/Premolar

This occurs when a premolar is gone from the jaw, and the adjacent molars are not affected and their roots intact. If their roots are intact, these types of missing teeth can be replaced with dental prosthetics such as dental crowns, artificial partial dentures or endodontic treatments. There must be enough adjacent teeth that support one another for chewing purposes before extracting them surgically to replace this case.

Molar

When a molar is gone from the jaw, and no premolars are affected in adjacent teeth, it can be replaced with an implant or bridge. Even if there are premolars next to the empty space of a molar tooth, replacement with dental prosthetics such as implants or bridges will still work. To replace this case, it is important that their roots are intact and no other surrounding teeth have decayed.

Double Molar

This occurs when a whole quadrant is affected, meaning the upper right side of your mouth or lower left side.

Multiple

Tooth loss that occurs all at the same time.

Types of Missing Teeth
Causes of Missing Teeth

What Are The Causes of Missing Teeth?

The several reasons why people lose their permanent teeth are:

Tooth Decay

Tooth decay is caused by tooth-decaying germs that accumulate over time when food debris mixes with saliva, making acid that damages the enamel surface of teeth.

Accidents

Accidents causing lost or broken permanent teeth are most common in children. While these accidents can be painful, they also provide good opportunities for dental care, especially when you know the signs and symptoms of complications.

Tooth Extraction

Tooth extraction typically refers to extracting a fully formed tooth but damaged because of advanced decay or other reasons such as damage from an accident. Sometimes healthy teeth are removed during orthodontic treatments since maxillary incisors are often extracted at an early age due to overcrowding which can cause other teeth to shift out of place later on.

Dental Diseases

Various dental diseases are related to missing teeth, including osteoporosis, wry jaw, bone loss, and cysts.

Gene Disorder

One of the rarest causes of missing teeth is genetic conditions mainly caused by mutation in one or more genes, including hypodontia, the absence of one or more teeth other than third molars.

If you are experiencing any discomfort or difficulty with your teeth, please call our dentist today to book an appointment.

Very positive experience at Imagine dental practice. All staff and Dr. Patterson are a delight to work with. Happy to have found a new dental home.

Pam H.Patient

Effects of Missing Teeth

  • Missing teeth can cause problems in chewing and speech pronunciation.
  • It can also affect one’s self-confidence and social life.
  • Having missing teeth may also affect the mental health of individuals, which can lead to depression.
Effects of Missing Teeth

How Do We Deal With Missing Teeth?

When you lose one or more of your natural teeth, you may need to consider treatment options for replacing them. Depending on factors such as their location and whether any neighboring teeth care too, you might consider different options.

Dental Crowns

Dental crowns are like caps made for replacing the visible surface of the tooth and restoring its functionality. Dental crowns serve as an affordable solution when it comes to replacing teeth because they require minimal preparation, unlike other implant treatments available. Also, placing a dental crown is much faster than implants, usually taking less than half an hour to complete.

Dental Bridges

Dental bridges help replace missing teeth by using artificial teeth or other removable appliances that span across two or more adjacent natural teeth, acting as anchors for replacement teeth that fill in the space of one or more missing teeth. Bridges are fixed to neighboring natural teeth with metal clasps or adhesives.

Complete or Full Dentures

A complete denture is a removable appliance that holds teeth and gums in place to fill the gap left by one or more lost natural teeth. Since bone changes over time, your complete denture may need adjustments.

Dental Implants

Dental implants are titanium posts surgically placed into the jawbone beneath each missing tooth’s socket to serve as anchors for replacement teeth such as crowns, bridges, and dental implants, which fit directly onto implant posts. While they can be expensive, this treatment option often produces excellent results because it does not interfere with neighboring healthy teeth and gums.

Partial Dentures

If you are missing a few teeth, you must treat them soon to prevent the remaining healthy teeth from shifting into the void. If you don’t, adjacent teeth may move out of place, so it would become necessary for complete or full dentures to fill in the space left behind.

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