Get It Back, and Much More
If you’ve lost teeth, or are about to have some extracted, you’re facing many new limitations. You might only be able to eat soft foods because eating anything else causes you discomfort. You might not be able to speak clearly and naturally. You can smile but the idea embarrasses you—especially if the missing teeth are in your smile zone. Your face may even take on a sunken, aged appearance if your tooth loss leads to bone recession. There are many solutions to recover your smile, including dental bridges and dental implants, which offer the function and esthetics of real teeth, jaw protection, and unequaled longevity. You may be surprised at how quickly you’re able to eat, speak, laugh, and smile again once your teeth are replaced. If you have failing or missing teeth in Albuquerque NM, reach out, we’ll help you find the tooth replacement solution you need for a complete, confident, and healthy smile.
Life with Missing Teeth
- A limited diet
- Speech difficulties
- Decreased self-confidence
- Jawbone loss
- Sunken facial appearance
Why Replace Damaged or Missing Teeth?
Infected, damaged, and failing teeth should be removed, if untreatable, to protect your dental health and even systemic health. Unless they’re wisdom teeth or are extra teeth that are causing overcrowding in your mouth, most teeth should be replaced after coming out, whether due to trauma, decay, or extraction.
Apart from all of the quality of life issues mentioned above, tooth loss can trigger a sort of “domino effect,” where bone deterioration begins underneath the empty tooth sockets, followed by further tooth loss as the decay expands. So, when you lose teeth, if you replace them quickly enough, tooth replacement may be the only issue you have to address. If you wait longer, you may be looking at bone reconstruction before you can consider tooth replacement options. Once your jaw is strong enough, you’ll have choices ranging from a single dental implant or denture to bridges, or rows of artificial teeth.
Remedies for Missing Teeth
Tooth Replacement Options at a Glance
 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| DENTAL BRIDGE | REMOVABLE DENTURES | IMPLANT SUPPORTED DENTURES | FULL MOUTH DENTAL IMPLANTS |
| Fixed | Will limit my diet?: YES | Will limit my diet?: MAYBE | Will limit my diet?: NO |
| Last 5+ Years | Are relines or adhesives required?: YES | Are relines or adhesives required?: NO | Are relines or adhesives required?: NO |
| Attached to abutment tooth/teeth | Will it protect my jawbone?: NO | Will it protect my jawbone?: YES | Will it protect my jawbone?: YES |
| Do not prevent jawbone loss | Do not prevent jawbone loss | Limit jawbone loss | Prevent jawbone loss |
| Greater food choices | Limited food choices | Greater food choices | Unlimited food choices |