There are millions of people in America walking around with missing teeth. This problem can transform your smile and destroy the function of your mouth. At Silver Leaf Dentistry, your friendly Longmont Colorado general dental office, we take pride in resolving dental problems big or small.

Replacing missing teeth is a major focus on ours. We offer solutions like traditional removable dentures and even advanced treatments like dental implants. Whatever the problem, we can address it at our office. Give us a call today at 720-504-2539 or use the online appointment form to request a visit.

The problem with missing teeth

Missing teeth make it next to impossible to smile with confidence or to eat the food you love. A few gaps in your smile can cause long-term problems you may not even be aware of. For one, a few missing teeth can cause the healthy teeth in your mouth to shift around.

Additionally, when all of the teeth are lost, you’ll experience changes in the jawbone. The jawbone will recede when the teeth are lost. Not only does this cause changes in your appearance — you lose the vertical height between the nose and chin and develop wrinkles around the mouth — but the constantly changing jawbone makes it difficult to find a good fit for any removable denture.

But the problems don’t stop there. Missing teeth also directly affect your overall health. According to the world renowned Mayo Clinic, people without their teeth can reduce their life expectancy by about 10 years.

Resolving missing teeth

About 35 million American are living without any of their natural teeth. Of that population, about 15 percent of those people wear dentures. That’s not a huge percentage, but dentures are still the most popular way to resolve missing teeth. But people who wear dentures often struggle to eat the food they love, and they constantly worry about their teeth flying out of their mouth. Denture wearers can also sometimes develop sores on their lower jaw because it’s hard to keep the bottom dentures from sliding around.

You can spend all the money you want on denture adhesives, but that still won’t permanently fix your problems. The one way to secure teeth is with dental implants. Dental implants are made from strong titanium that merges with the jawbone. Dentists use titanium because it is biocompatible, meaning your body “accepts it.” We work with a local specialist who places the dental implants. Once the implant has healed, it can be restored with crowns and bridges or even dentures.

Though placing a dental implant is considered oral surgery, it’s a highly successful treatment. We’ve found that dental implants can be placed with a 98 percent successful rate. Almost anyone is a candidate for dental implants. You just need to be in reality good oral health and have enough jawbone to support the implants.

Living with dental implants

Dental implants act just like the root of your natural teeth. As such, you take care of your implants in a similar way you would care for your natural teeth. Our patients who replace their missing teeth with dental implants no longer have to live in fear that their teeth will dislodge. They can also eat any food they want. This simple treatment can help patients improve their lives, whether it’s their oral health or confidence.

At Silver Leaf Dentistry, we take pride in finding the right treatment that will improve your life. Call our office today at 720-504-2539 or fill out the appointment form to request a visit.