If you are dealing with tooth loss, you may suffer from a gum infection. By getting this disease under control, you can enjoy a prosthetic implant that restores your full smile. While gum disease is the leading cause of missing teeth among adults today, restoring your smile can slow the progression of the disease by restoring the alignment of your bite. When your teeth align in harmony, you slow the wear and tear that comes from the disproportionate application of your bite’s force. An implant tooth helps preserve your youthful appearance by stimulating the jawbone, preserving the existing structure of your face.

At your Encinitas/San Diego, CA periodontal practice, we help our patients restore their smiles after dealing with the effects of gum disease. Because this condition breaks down the stability of teeth, many gum disease patients lose teeth as they combat their infections. After placing you on a periodontal maintenance schedule, we can explore prosthodontic options for restoring your smile. Committing to your daily oral hygiene can ensure you enjoy the use of your implant tooth for a lifetime.

How Gum Disease Leads To Losing Teeth

If you enjoy healthy gums, your tissues hold teeth securely in your smile. However, when plaque and tartar give way to infected tissue, the body’s immune system creates an inflammatory response that wears at this stability. In an effort to escape the irritating bacteria on the surface of your smile, the body destroys gum tissue, leading to recession. As tissues recede, bacteria can burrow deeper, taking hold of your jaw. Over months or years without treatment, this can lead to enough loss of healthy tissue that your teeth become loose. When this happens, we suggest extracting teeth to get your disease under control.

Designing Your Implant Tooth

Dental implants support a variety of degrees of tooth loss. If you are missing a single tooth or the entirety of your teeth, we can place posts that mimic the function of a tooth’s root. By inserting a titanium post directly through your open socket, your implant begins to fuse with jaw tissue. Its biocompatible nature ensures your post can hold in place for years to come.

Placing Your Prosthetic

After healing from post placement, we attach an abutment that can hold a replacement tooth above your gumline. For an individual missing tooth, we suggest placing a crown that fits neatly into your bite. To care for your new tooth, perform a rigorous hygiene routine and stay on top of your checkups and cleanings.

Talk To Your Encinitas/San Diego, CA Periodontist About Dental Prosthetics

We can help you complete your smile once again! If you would like to find out more about addressing your missing teeth, then please call Dr. Kania’s laser periodontal office in Encinitas/San Diego, CA, at (760) 642-0711.