Replacing missing teeth
Teeth may be lost for a number of reasons. Accidental injuries from sport may knock teeth out. A tooth may become loose from gum disease, or may be irretrievably damaged by decay, and need to be extracted.
When a tooth is lost, the result can be a very unattractive smile. Also the efficiency of normal eating may be compromised, and speech may be affected. All in all this can be an embarrassing situation.
In the mouth when a tooth is lost and not replaced certain damaging changes may occur. The adjacent teeth may with time tip into the gap and upset the functioning of the other teeth. The opposing tooth may move and interfere with chewing. Increased biting pressures on the remaining teeth can cause them to be worn down excessively, or even to fracture. The collapse of the bite can cause premature wrinkles and age lines. Also the changes in tooth positions may eventually result in gum disease and decay, as plaque accumulation may be greater.
The good news is that there are a number of ways that we at Smilecare can help to successfully replace missing teeth and to restore a smile to a near pristine state.
Restoring damaged teeth
Teeth are constantly being subjected to harmful forces. This can result in damage to the structures of the tooth which then need to be repaired. Fortunately modern dentistry has progressed to the state whereby for the most part these repairs are easy to achieve and will give a long lasting aesthetic result.
Fillings
A filling replaces the part of a tooth that has been lost because of decay, through accidental damage, or through wear and tear. Fillings can either be metal based – silver (amalgam) fillings, or tooth coloured composite plastic or white fillings.When there is more extensive damage to a tooth, crowns, or inlays and onlays may be used instead of a filling.