There are a variety of reasons why someone may lose their permanent teeth. The most common reasons for adult tooth loss are irreparable tooth decay, periodontal disease, tooth fracture, or as a result of injury.
The loss a tooth can have a significant impact on a person’s appearance and self-esteem, their ability to speak properly, and to chew efficiently. These problems are compounded if multiple teeth are lost. Teeth need each other for support, and failure to replace a lost or missing tooth can start a cascade of changes that can negatively impact surrounding teeth, putting them at greater risk for being lost. These changes can dramatically increase the time, effort and cost of future replacement, or make replacement impossible.
In spite of all we know about prevention and early diagnosis, sometimes tooth loss cannot be avoided, or is the only viable choice. In those cases, partial or complete dentures can be an excellent treatment for patients suffering from loss of their teeth. Dentures can restore a patient’s ability to smile, speak and chew efficiently and confidently.