Your smile says a lot about you. You know that you should regularly see your dentist, but you might not have realized the health impacts of failing to do so.
As it turns out, what happens in your mouth affects the rest of your body. Here are eight dental procedures to improve your health that you may wish to consider.
1. Dental Implants
What’s the big deal about having a gap in your gums? Oral bacteria may travel through the bloodstream to other organs, where it causes no end of trouble. Researchers associate gum disease-causing bacteria with dementia and theorize that poor oral care may lurk behind many Alzheimer’s cases.
Dental implants can help fill spaces where you lost a tooth, leaving your gums particularly vulnerable to infection. Your oral surgeon screws the teeth into the jaw bone, where they osseointegrate with the bone and sutures the surrounding area. Once you heal, the implant functions much like your natural tooth and can last a lifetime if well-maintained.
2. Bridges
Dental implants last forever, but they do come at a high price point. Another option you have is a dental bridge, a false tooth held in place by the others on either side of the gap.
Bridges come in four principal varieties:
- Traditional: These types have a crown on either side.
- Cantilever: This variety has a crown only on one side.
- Maryland: This style adds a framework of metal behind the teeth for additional support.
- Implant-supported: This version is similar to implants, using them to support the bridge.
3. Dentures
Dentures are another replacement option for missing teeth. They sit on top of healed gums, enabling you to chew, although you can take them out at night.
While your gums typically take 8 to 12 weeks to heal after removal, you do have the option of getting immediate dentures made. These protect you from going without teeth, but your bones and gums shrink over time as they heal. Therefore, you’ll likely need several visits for repeated fittings if you choose this option.
Dentures come in full and partial varieties. Partial ones can fill gaps, and precision partial dentures create a more natural-looking appearance using internal attachments instead of clasps to hold them to the remaining teeth.
4. Crowns and Caps
A crown is similar to a little hat for your tooth — another term for the device is a cap. They can protect, cover and restore your teeth’s shape when regular fillings won’t do the trick. Your dentist will examine the tooth and may need to do a root canal if there is an infection or injury to the tooth’s pulp.
Then, your dentist will create the crown and cement it into place. Many times, this procedure requires a return visit. However, you might be able to have the entire thing done in one day if your provider has the right equipment onsite.
5. Extractions
Sometimes, even a crown can’t save a tooth. In such cases, it’s best to have it removed. While a root canal can address any underlying infection, you may need extraction for the following four reasons:
- Wisdom teeth removal: Many people have this procedure if their wisdom teeth cause pain or make their other teeth crooked due to insufficient room.
- Periodontal disease: If you get an infection in your gums, it destroys the connective tissue helping to hold your teeth in the bone.
- Removing root tips: If you lose a tooth but the tip remains, an extraction can remove it.
- Breaks along the gumline: While crowns or caps can repair most broken teeth, if it occurs too close to the gums, your provider has no “head” to hold the “hat.”
6. Fillings
Some people are more prone to cavities than others, and if you are one of them, you may need to get fillings repeatedly throughout your life. In this procedure, your dentist removes the decayed portion of your tooth and replaces it with a permanent resin.
Fillings are vital because they can help save your natural teeth. By attacking cavities early, they postpone or eliminate the need for crowns.
7. Gum Surgery
Periodontal disease is no joke. It can up your risk of dementia, and studies show that oral bacteria also spread to the heart, where they may cause problems.
Gum surgery may also become necessary if you have an injury to the area. A broken jaw can cause challenges with eating and talking, and you might need medical intervention to restore healthy functioning.
8. Cleanings
You shouldn’t skip dental cleanings. Many experts recommend going at least once a year, with some suggesting popping in every six months. You might need to do the latter if you have a family history of cavities or other dental problems.
When you book your appointment, your provider will check for cavities and take X-rays to identify other problems. They can advise you of recommended next steps to protect your health and appearance.
These 8 Dental Procedures Can Improve Your Health
There’s more to your mouth than a set of luxury bones you can ignore. The eight dental procedures above can improve your health and appearance.
