Whether you just lost your tooth, or you have a tooth that hasn’t been replaced after an extended period of time, it is essential for your dental health that you replace missing teeth. At Bagley, Goodwin, & Hirinda we help you find a tooth replacement solution that fits your needs, budget and schedule. Call our friendly staff today to schedule your tooth replacement consultation. Our family-friendly Greenfield, MA dental practice will work with you to quickly replace your missing teeth and restore your beautiful smile.
Why Replace Missing Teeth
Replacing missing teeth is not just about restoring your beautiful, healthy smile. Replacing missing teeth is beneficial to your overall dental health. Spaces left by missing teeth can allow dental drift where your surrounding teeth move to fill the space. Dental drift can completely change your bite, leave gaps in teeth, undo pricey orthodontic straightening, and a misaligned bite puts you at risk for TMJ.
Another effect missing teeth have on oral health is the deterioration of gum tissue and bone density. Without the root to support gum tissue and stimulate the jawbone to maintain density, rapid deterioration can be seen. Depending on age, in just a few months you can see a noticeable change of your facial features due to the change in gum tissue and bone density.
Our Tooth Replacement Options
Whenever possible, we want to preserve your original tooth. This is often difficult due to the extremely time sensitive nature of lost tooth replacement. If you do loose a tooth, clean both the tooth and the socket and try to replace the tooth and hold it in place by biting down on gauze. Always handle a tooth by the crown, and avoid touching the root. If you are unable to replace the tooth, hold the tooth between your cheek and gums or store in a glass of milk until you can get to our office. Call us as soon as possible, so we can prepare to see you immediately. If the tooth can be replaced in about an hour, we are generally able to reattach it with no problem.
If we are unable to replace your natural tooth, there are numerous other tooth replacement options that will look and feel great. Our practice offers dental implants, bridges, partials and dentures to meet any tooth replacement needs.
To maximize gum tissue and jawbone density retention, dental implants are highly effective. The implant is a titanium post set in the gum to replace the root. A crown is anchored to the post to create a permanent replacement tooth that functions just like a natural tooth. Implant technology can also be used on multiple teeth or a full arch. Implant supported dentures are semi-permanent and help many denture wearers regain the ability to eat their favorite crunchy, sticky or chewy food. Additional, because implant supported dentures do not block the pallet, patients are able to taste more flavors in their food.
If implants are not a viable option for you, single tooth and multiple tooth replacement can be done using crowns and bridges. Because you do not have a root or implant to anchor a crown, a bridge connects a crown to the surrounding teeth. This is an effective tooth replacement option that is minimally invasive and can help restore your bite to full strength.
Partial dentures or partials are a good option when you might need multiple crown and bridge treatments. Partials are made up of a set of customized artificial teeth that are attached to a plastic support that is made to resemble your gum line. Like a crown and bridge, partials are anchored to surrounding teeth for stability.
Finally, traditional dentures are made to replace an upper or lower arch or a full-set of teeth. Traditional dentures attach to your gums using adhesive, and provide facial shape and support to those who have lost all of the teeth in one or both arches. This is an effective method of returning a patient’s ability to articulate and thoroughly chew their meals.
Schedule an Examination
If you are missing one or more teeth, don’t waste another minute trying to decide whether you should replace them. Let the professionals at Bagley, Goodwin & Hirinda PC help you find the best tooth replacement treatment for you. Call to schedule a consultation with the knowledgeable dental staff at our Greenfield, MA office. We welcome patients form surrounding areas including Deerfield, Conway, Shelburne Falls, Turners Falls, Northfield, and Amherst.
Shocking news in the dental world today: as it turns out, that old joke about the Brits having terrible teeth isn’t as true as we thought. In fact, according to a recent analysis of dental surveys, The British Medical Journal concluded that we Americans actually have more missing teeth than our neighbors across the pond. Looks like we’ve got some crow to eat.
