First, you can replace it with an implant. This is only true is some cases, where there is enough bone in your jaw and you are healthy enough to accept an implant. Implants are inserted into the jaw bone and act as roots, then a crown is placed on top. Implants require surgery and usually take a minimum of 3 months to complete due to the healing process required. They can also be costly as dental insurance still does not cover them well.

The second option is a bridge. A bridge consists of placing a crown on either side of the missing tooth space, and splinting another tooth to those crowns. When the bridge is placed, you will have three teeth that are joined. This can make flossing difficult, but otherwise a bridge feels and functions just as normal teeth would. A bride is fixed and does not come in and out, which leads us to the third option, a partial denture.

A partial denture is usually used to replace multiple missing teeth. It is a removable unit that clasps onto other teeth in your mouth. Partial dentures do not function exactly like normal teeth and usually require patients to adjust their speech and eating habits. Many people find partial dentures to be a satisfying replacement for their missing teeth and keep them for years.

The final option is to do nothing. Some patients choose this option for a variety of reasons including financial reasons. Depending on what tooth is missing, this can be an acceptable option. The main consequence is that other teeth will shift in order to accommodate this space, and it can cause these, otherwise healthy teeth to begin having problems.

If you have a missing tooth and would like to discuss your options, feel free to call our office and we will be glad to do a consultation with you.

The term dentists use to describe the way the upper and lower teeth come together is occlusion. Your occlusion is complex, dynamic and dependent on many factors which work together to maintain a healthy balance. One slight alteration in any of these factors can have an exaggerated effect on the whole. For example, if you are under stress and you grind your teeth either at night or during the day, it can have an affect not only your teeth, but also your jaw joint, facial muscles, gums, even the nerves in your teeth and face.

To help you understand this better, let’s look at what factors play into your bite. First, you have the upper and lower teeth, rooted in your upper and lower jaw bones. These teeth each have nerves within them that allow you to feel hot and cold and alert you when you are chewing something too hard. Between the upper and lower jaw, there exists a hinge, known as your temporomandibular joint or TMJ. This hinge allows you to move your lower jaw from your skull. Also, there is a disc or piece of cartilage in the joint. This disc can wear thin over time or slip just as the cartilage in your knee or elbow joint can. Lastly, there are muscles in your face that control your jaw movements. These muscles can become overworked and sore when too much stress is put on them, just as the muscles in the rest of your body can get sore after a workout or injury.

When you have a high spot on a filling or crown, the brunt of your chewing force, which is quite strong, is taken by that one tooth instead of being distributed among all of your teeth, which then causes inflammation in the surrounding area of the tooth and root. This results in a distressed nerve. The only way the nerve can respond is by producing sensitivity to cold and biting. Therefore, the first time you bite into something hard or cold water hits that bruised tooth, you feel a painful sensation. This pain is usually transient and goes away as soon as the water warms up or is swallowed. If the pain lingers, it can mean there is a problem with the nerve and may the tooth may need further attention.

High spots left untreated can cause permanent damage to the tooth and can result in root canal treatment and/or a crown. The fix is very simple, a few more rounds of tapping on articulating paper and a little adjusting and the balance will be restored once again.

First of all, thank you for visiting the website. I hope it proves to be informative while also being enjoyable. This blog will be written by me and the entries will be updated periodically. I will write about current dental topics, post articles or explain procedures that we do here at Narrows Family Dentistry and even some that we do not do here, but that we sometimes recommend to our patients. Please leave comments and questions in our contact section. I would love to answer them and take ideas for future posts.  Thanks again!