While experiencing total tooth failure is less common as oral health education, use of fluoride, and improved dental services that are readily available, it’s still an issue that patients face. Tooth failure is problematic and troublesome, but it can be corrected with better understanding of why it happened and what treatments are available to solve loss of function and overall health.
Why Do Teeth Fail?
It’s possible to experience dental problems due to genetic predisposition to poor soft tissue health and weak, demineralized teeth – or even a naturally unbalanced bite that was never corrected, which created broken and damaged teeth. However, teeth most often fail due to a prolonged history of dental problems, poor oral health practices, diet and lifestyle choices, and even unskilled or infrequent dental care.
Patients who see their teeth fail in their 40s and 50s are often those who started having dental problems early, with frequent and poorly provided fillings, or unnecessary capping of teeth. Over the years, these patients may have experienced repeat root canals and have a patchwork of prosthetics that have become worn and ineffective after a number of years.
Teeth can also fail if oral hygiene isn’t practiced regularly. This includes dental checkups as well as thorough at-home brushing and flossing. Patients who do not practice diligent dental care and make poor diet choices, including overconsumption of acid causing foods and utilizing tobacco, will quickly notice more frequent instances of decay and gum recession.
Unfortunately, teeth can also become damaged beyond repair with treatment from dentists who do not invest in patient wellness, take the time to get to know their needs, or practice conservative treatment methods. Inexperienced dentists who make mistakes during fillings or crown preparation, those who do not properly seal crowns and bridges, or even practitioners who provide unnecessary restorations can all contribute to the ultimate failure and extraction of affected teeth.
Treatment for Total Tooth Loss
In the hands of a qualified and experienced dentist, regaining your oral health and restoring all lost teeth in an arch is possible. As a skilled provider of dental implants and multiple surgical processes involved in the implant treatment process, patients at Dr. Okamoto’s Torrance dental office benefit from full smile restoration with varying numbers of dental implants, implant-supported dentures, and All on 4. Patients interested in these treatment plans can expect all phases of care to be completed at our practice, including extraction of failing teeth, bone grafting, implant placement, and restoration of implants with natural-looking prosthetics.
Don’t trust care of your smile to anyone other than an experienced professional. If you’re dealing with severely broken, decayed, and failing teeth, call Drs. Okamoto to ask our implant treatment options.
Monday, January 30, 2017
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
The Value of Regular Cleanings
Not many dental patients need to be reminded that visiting the dentist twice a year is routine and important, but they don’t often stop to think about why exactly that is. Dental appointments end up being e-mail reminders that pop up on your calendar every so often and seem easy to put off, but there’s real value in regular cleanings, including:
Catching Decay and Damage Early
While dental crowns and fillings are accepted as typical dental treatments, they’re restorations used after decay has already taken hold. When you think about it that way, these procedures seem less easy to ignore and prevention becomes more important. Even small points of decay are still damage to teeth that can ultimately compromise dental health – and some patients don’t even know they have a cavity in its initial stages.
That’s where routine dental appointments become essential. During your examination, Drs. Okamoto can tell you when small spots of decay have developed, thereby preventing the need for more serious treatment and helping to preserve your teeth. Even if a tooth doesn’t feel sensitive or damaged, there’s a chance you could be experiencing tooth decay; only a dentist will be able to tell you for certain during a routine examination.
Prevention of Gum Disease
Gum disease is another common problem, but one that is discussed more frequently, as there are plenty of products that promise to help prevent gum problems and keep your smile healthy. But the truth is that it’s hard to have healthy gums without regular dental cleanings. Even with patients’ best efforts, there are places under the gum line or on and between teeth can be missed through regular brushing and flossing, allowing plaque and tartar accumulate. Though these contribute to gum disease, keeping regular preventive appointments with your dentist provides for thorough removal of build-up and keeps soft tissue infection at bay.
Creating Positive Dental Experiences
Fear of the dentist is powerful and can keep many patients away for years on end. This creates risk for serious dental problems and puts an ever-growing gap between you and your dentist. But when you visit your dentist for regular cleanings, you give them the opportunity to get to know you, earn your trust, and battle any dental anxiety, so you can have a healthy smile. Even complex dental procedures can be made more comfortable when you visit twice a year and keep up good communication with your dentist.
Are you Due for a Cleaning? Call our Office!
Call Drs. Steven and Michelle Okamoto today if you’re due for your next dental cleaning or have a question for our team.
Catching Decay and Damage Early
While dental crowns and fillings are accepted as typical dental treatments, they’re restorations used after decay has already taken hold. When you think about it that way, these procedures seem less easy to ignore and prevention becomes more important. Even small points of decay are still damage to teeth that can ultimately compromise dental health – and some patients don’t even know they have a cavity in its initial stages.
That’s where routine dental appointments become essential. During your examination, Drs. Okamoto can tell you when small spots of decay have developed, thereby preventing the need for more serious treatment and helping to preserve your teeth. Even if a tooth doesn’t feel sensitive or damaged, there’s a chance you could be experiencing tooth decay; only a dentist will be able to tell you for certain during a routine examination.
Prevention of Gum Disease
Gum disease is another common problem, but one that is discussed more frequently, as there are plenty of products that promise to help prevent gum problems and keep your smile healthy. But the truth is that it’s hard to have healthy gums without regular dental cleanings. Even with patients’ best efforts, there are places under the gum line or on and between teeth can be missed through regular brushing and flossing, allowing plaque and tartar accumulate. Though these contribute to gum disease, keeping regular preventive appointments with your dentist provides for thorough removal of build-up and keeps soft tissue infection at bay.
Creating Positive Dental Experiences
Fear of the dentist is powerful and can keep many patients away for years on end. This creates risk for serious dental problems and puts an ever-growing gap between you and your dentist. But when you visit your dentist for regular cleanings, you give them the opportunity to get to know you, earn your trust, and battle any dental anxiety, so you can have a healthy smile. Even complex dental procedures can be made more comfortable when you visit twice a year and keep up good communication with your dentist.
Are you Due for a Cleaning? Call our Office!
Call Drs. Steven and Michelle Okamoto today if you’re due for your next dental cleaning or have a question for our team.
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