Do You Have Missing or Damaged Teeth?

A missing tooth is more than just an aesthetic concern. All too often an individual missing a tooth in the back of their mouth will have an out of site out of mind mentality. This can be a huge oversight!

It is more appropriate to think of a missing tooth as a space where a tooth used to be.

Above and beyond aesthetics a tooth's purpose includes:

• Acting as a chewing surface
• Holding its place with regards to adjacent teeth
• Maintaining the bone structure where it was rooted along with many other structural and preventative roles.
• Without that tooth in place surrounding teeth can shift causing gaps and making decay more likely, bone loss and damage can occur, the area can become more apt to periodontal disease and the list goes on.
• To avoid bone loss, maintain the proper spacing of your teeth and avoid the maladies associated with a missing tooth you have several option. Depending on your individual situation your options include:

Dental Implants in North York

An implant will take the place or more appropriately fill the space that your missing tooth once held.

A dental implant is a small prosthetic post that is placed into the bone of the upper or lower jaw. The post functions as the root ortion of the lost natural tooth and serves as an anchor for replacement tooth. Once the post has settled an artificial tooth is attached to fill the space that was once your missing tooth.

A dental implant often gives back a patient's confidence in their smile, the ability to eat comfortably and a clean, healthy oral environment. Dental implants look and feel exactly like natural teeth, no one other than you and your dentist will be able to tell the difference.

There are many different types of dental implants available.

Your North Toronto Dentist would be pleased to discuss the benefits of implant prosthetics with you.

Dental Bridges in North York

If you're missing a tooth in the back of your mouth, the 'out of sight, out of mind' is not the adage that you should think of. Perhaps 'a chain is only as strong its weakest link' would be more appropriate.

Aside from the discomfort that can come with a missing tooth, there are other problems that result. To start with, the tooth that was there acted as a place holder keeping other teeth from shifting. Without that tooth, the surrounding teeth may move affecting your visible smile as well as causing the gums and neighboring teeth to become far more susceptible to decay and gum disease.

One of the solutions our Yorkdale dentist can offer for atients who are missing teeth is called a dental bridge.

A dental bridge is a permanent solution that can be used to replace one or more missing teeth. Bridges can do many things, including reducing your risk of gum disease, help to correct minor bite issues and can even improve your speech. The replacement tooth acts as place holder to avoid the shifting of other teeth, improve/maintain your oral health as well as protect the appearance of your smile.

If you're missing a tooth and have figured it was harmless until now, ask us if a dental bridge is right for you.

Porcelain Dental Crowns in North York

A crown (commonly referred to as a 'cap') is a covering that sits over the top of the tooth creating a tooth surface to protect, cover, seal, and strengthen your tooth. Crowns are used in many different scenarios as they are effective and often allow us to save a tooth.

A Dental Crown may be the solution for:

• Larger fillings that have broken down or have formed decay around them may need a crown to save the tooth.
• A cracked tooth may need a crown to hold it together. Be careful not to wait too long as an untreated cracked tooth can become sensitive or eventually break.
• Teeth that are very sensitive, either from a lot of "wear", or from receded gums, sometimes require crowns to seal and protect the teeth from hot and cold sensitivity.
• A tooth that has broken may be too weak to hold a filling. A crown will hold the tooth together and prevent it from breaking again. If the fracture is too deep, Root Canal Theray may be required before the tooth is crowned.
• A tooth that has undergone Root Canal Therapy will need a crown to properly seal and protect the tooth.

A crown may be the solution to saving that tooth; Your North York Dentist, Dr. Babatsikos will evaluate your needs depending on your oral health and the condition of your teeth. Contact us today to book your appointment.

Dentures in North York

Dentures are artificial teeth used to fill in the spaces created by missing teeth. They can be made of different materials, often hardened porcelain and acrylic resin, and are made to look as natural as possible.

Dentures can be created to fill the place of one missing tooth, several teeth, even all of patient's teeth depending on the nature and reason for their tooth loss.

Aside from aesthetic appearance, dentures will help a patient with chewing, normal speech, facial muscle support, and avoid the shifting of surrounding teeth. Dentures may just be the procedure that brings out your smile.