Losing a tooth is more common than you might think. In fact, the average American adult has 25 teeth remaining, according to National Institutes of Health.
In case you were wondering, a full mouth has 32 teeth. When you consider that a majority of people will have their wisdom teeth removed, that leaves most people with 28 teeth.
And that means the average adult in the United States has lost three teeth.
Knowing this, it is possible that you will lose a tooth someday if you haven’t lost one already. A dental crown and a dental implant are an excellent way to restore what you have lost.
If that day comes (or already has), then you should contact the nearest Beaumont Family Dentistry to make an appointment. Our dentist offices are based in Lexington, but we see patients from Winchester, Versailles, and throughout Central Kentucky.
The Old Way Of Replacing Lost Teeth
Dental implants have transformed tooth replacement, but people lost teeth for a long, long time before implants were developed.
We know from archeological findings that ancient cultures used rocks and seashells to replace missing teeth. For a long time, ivory, animals bones, and animal teeth were used to replace lost human teeth.
For a time, it was normal to remove teeth from the deceased to replace lost teeth as well. Eventually, new materials were developed to created teeth replacements like porcelain and ceramics.
Dentures were one way to replace a missing tooth. A false tooth could be attached to a plastic base. Small hooks would connect this base to your remaining teeth to hold it in place.
Another way to replace a missing tooth was a dental bridge. To make a traditional bridge, a dentist would reshape to adjacent teeth. This means removing part of two healthy teeth so they can support the bridge. Those teeth would anchor the bridge that filled in the gaps between them.
Thankfully, we have an even better way of replacing teeth today.
The Modern Way To Replace A Missing Tooth
In the 1960s, Dr. Per-Ingvar Brånemark (a Swedish physician) developed titanium dental implants. By the 1970s, implants were becoming more common.
Today, they are the preferred method of tooth replacement for dentists around the world. And you can get them at any Beaumont Family Dentistry office in Beaumont Centre Circle, Leestown, and Hamburg.
Why are dental implants better than the tooth replacement options mentioned above? Implants replace the root of your lost tooth.
Your roots play an important role in securing your healthy teeth in your jawbone. This also adds to the power you can generate with your bite. That’s why you can eat food comfortably.
The root also keeps your jaw healthy as well. The interaction between the root and your jaw encourage your jaw to create new tissue to replace older tissue.
Without a root or a root replacement, your jaw can lose up to 25 percent of its mass in the part of your mouth without the root in just 12 months. That kinds bone loss can put neighboring teeth at risk as well. This can lead to a cycle of tooth loss unless you do something about it.
Getting An Implant And A Crown
When you have a dental implant, you have a way to replace the root of your missing tooth.
The implant is placed directly into your jawbone. As you heal, the bone bonds to the implant just as it once did with the root of your tooth.
To restore your smile, a dental crown can be attached to the abutment end of the implant. This way you have replaced both halves of your tooth.
Today’s dental crowns look and full more like natural teeth than ever. With a dental implant to support it, the crown will function as well as a natural tooth too for all practical purposes.
And you will notice that we don’t have to do anything to your neighboring teeth so you can get your implant. Whenever possible, we want to preserve as much of your healthy teeth as we can.
An implant and crown combination does just that because you don’t have to remove parts of healthy teeth to hold a bridge.
Make An Appointment To Get Your Replacement Tooth
By replacing your missing tooth with a dental implant, you are restoring your smile and your bite. You are also doing something that reduces the risk that you will lose more teeth.
You can get an implant and crown at any of our three dentist offices in Lexington, KY. Call the nearest Beaumont Family Dentistry or fill out our online form to make your appointment today.