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Whether you’re having a tooth pulled at North Park Dental in the near future, or you’ve already lost one or more teeth and have questions about tooth loss, you’re in the right place!
In this blog, we’ll answer a few common FAQs about tooth loss, and help you understand why it’s so important to replace your missing teeth in McAllen.
Yes. Losing a tooth can cause serious oral health issues. Your remaining teeth will shift toward the empty space in your smile, which can ruin the alignment of your teeth. The underlying bone will also start to deteriorate unless you replace your tooth with a dental implant.
Not only that, but losing one or more teeth makes it harder to eat your favorite foods. Tooth loss can also impair speech and make you feel self-conscious about your appearance due to the social stigma associated with tooth loss.
As soon as possible. The sooner you replace your tooth, the more likely it is that you will avoid oral health issues like teeth shifting and jaw bone loss. As soon as your tooth is extracted at North Park Dental, you should discuss your options for tooth replacement with Dr. Ricardo Munoz
The three most common procedures used to replace missing teeth are dentures, dental bridges, and dental implants.
There are two types of dentures. Full dentures require you to have all of your teeth pulled. They consist of a gum-colored acrylic base that holds a full set of teeth. They sit over your gums and are held in place due to their tight fit.
Partial dentures are a bit different. They consist of multiple false teeth attached to a framework that clips onto your remaining healthy teeth.
Dental bridges are sort of similar to partial dentures. They attach to two healthy teeth using crowns. These crowns support pontics (false teeth) that rest in the gap where your missing tooth or teeth used to be.
Dental implants are also a great option. They consist of a metal implant that’s surgically attached to your jaw bone. One implant can support a single false tooth, or multiple implants can be used to support a dental bridge or a set of implant-supported dentures.
While they’re the most expensive, dental implants are widely considered to be the best way to replace missing teeth due to their long lifespan, natural look and feel, and durability.
This depends on how many teeth you’ve lost, the location of each tooth, your overall oral health, which treatment you’re interested in, and a variety of other factors. To get an estimate, we recommend contacting North Park Dental for a consultation with Dr. Ricardo Munoz.
This depends on the insurer and the type of tooth replacement. Most insurers cover full and partial dentures, and some will cover all or some of the cost of dental bridges.
However, most insurance plans do not cover the cost of dental implants. To learn more about your coverage, we recommend consulting directly with your insurer.
At North Park Dental, Dr. Ricardo Munoz specializes in restorative dentistry, and is a member of the International Implant Association. If you’d like to explore your options for replacing missing teeth in McAllen, we’re here to help. Contact us online or give us a call at (956) 997-4044 to schedule a consultation today.