Lost a Tooth? Now What? Colorado Springs Dental Implants Surgeons Walk Us Through the Process, PART 1

This four-part article series explains what you should do in the event that you lose one or more of your adult teeth, whether it is the result of an accident or tooth decay.

If the statistics of tooth loss released by the American CDC (Centers for Disease Control) are to be believed, then it would seem that we will all have experience with tooth loss at some stage during our lives. And by tooth loss, we don’t mean the kind involving financial transactions with the tooth fairy! Once all of your adult teeth have emerged, you only have one set to last you a lifetime, so it’s a very big deal when one or more fall out or need to be extracted as a result of tooth decay, accidental trauma or gum disease.

What we want to know is what happens now? What’s the step-by-step process for New Jersey residents whose smile has taken a gappy turn for the worse? To answer this pressing question, we spoke to some experienced Colorado Springs dental implants surgeons. This four-part article series presents what they had to say on the matter.

What are the most common reasons Colorado Springs residents come to your practices to have a tooth or several teeth replaced?

“I think most dentists will agree that the greatest cause behind tooth loss is tooth decay. Bad oral hygiene, not seeing the dentist frequently enough for professional preventative care, tooth grinding, smoking, unhealthy eating, excessive drinking and drug abuse can all lead to a greater risk of tooth decay, which, if left untreated, can cause tooth loss,” explain the dental implant surgeons.

“Many of these habits and addictions can also lead to a greater risk of gum disease, which is yet another major health concern in the Colorado Springs and one that ultimately leads to tooth loss and even complete edentulism in the absence of timely treatment. Edentulism is the state of not having any natural teeth left at all.”

What about tooth loss resulting from car accidents, for example? Does that bring a lot of patients to your offices?

“We typically find more people losing teeth from accidental injury sustained in playing sports, especially hockey and competitive combat sports. Sure, many Colorado Springs residents have lost or had teeth badly damaged in car and motorbike accidents, but also from skating, biking and other modes of getting from A to B,” explain the dental implant surgeons. “Our advice for sports players is to always wear a mouth guard.”

So, say I lose a tooth or my dentist extracts it because it simply cannot be saved. What happens now? What should I do?

“Colorado Springs dentists will discuss your tooth replacement options with you before they extract the problematic tooth. While there are several technologies available, dental implants are considered the best because they look, feel and function more like natural teeth than the alternatives and they tend to last longer too. If you decide to go with dental implants, your dentist may refer you to a oral and maxillofacial surgeon, or elsewhere depending on what’s most convenient for you.”

Stay Tuned for Part 2

To find out more about the journey involved in getting teeth replaced with dental implants, stay tuned for the second installment of this four-part article series.