missing tooth

SOMETIMES UPPER FRONT TEETH don’t come in on time. If more than one year passes since the expected time of arrival of an upper front tooth, usually at age 7, and the front tooth is still delayed, it’s time to take action and visit an orthodontist.

There Are Many Possible Causes...

There are many possible causes of delayed permanent front teeth.

1. A baby tooth may be lost too early due to a cavity or an accident. When this happens, bone and tissue fills the tooth path and the permanent tooth may not be able to push its way out.

2. A baby tooth can be maintained too long. A baby not loose and firmly in place too long may not allow a permanent tooth to come in or may cause the permanent tooth to come in out of place.

3. An extra front tooth in the middle of both front teeth can prevent these front teeth from coming in. This extra middle tooth is called a mesiodens. Sometimes this tooth comes into the roof of the mouth or it may stay stuck in the bone.

4. Front teeth may be deformed, turned sideways, or even upside down. This situation will require a surgical procedure and attachment of a metal chain to pull the tooth into position with braces.

Get An Orthodontic Evaluation By Age 7!

In all of these situations, orthodontic space preparation is important. In some cases, a surgical incision may be all that is necessary to release a front tooth and allow it to come into position.

The esthetic and social consequences of a missing front tooth for a child are significant. This is why the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that every child have an orthodontic evaluation by age 7.

So please bring your child to Gorczyca Orthodontics in Antioch, California for a complimentary consultation if you hear them say “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.”

IF YOU HAVE A MISSING TOOTH there are typically three options. You could get a bridge, which protects the surrounding teeth and helps keep them from moving. You can get a partial denture, which is a removable placeholder for the missing tooth. Or you can get an implant. A dental implant is a safe, permanent, aesthetically pleasing solution for a missing tooth.

You may be tempted to think that there’s a viable option #4 called “ignore it.” But that would be a mistake. Missing teeth can cause serious problems in your mouth including shifting teeth, additional tooth loss, deteriorating gums, and weakened bone structure.

How Implants Work

• Step 1: The implant process begins with a small rod (or “post”) that is anchored in your jaw. This post fuses to existing bone and imitates the function of dental roots.
• Step 2: Typically there’s a 3–6 month healing time to ensure complete and proper post fusion. During this time, a temporary crown protects your mouth, gums, and adjacent teeth.
• Step 3: After the area has fully healed, a custom crown is placed on the post.

What Should You Know Regarding Implants And Orthodontic Treatment?

At Gorczyca Orthodontics, we prepare patients for dental implants. Should you be considering an implant, consider orthodontic treatment first as dental implants, once placed, are not moveable.

We will work closely with your general dentist and your oral surgeon to give you the best implant result possible.

What Kind Of Results Will You Get?

At Gorczyca Orthodontics, we have helped hundreds of patients get dental implants. We have numerous Before and After photos of successful cases which we can share with you at your initial examination.

We can also provide you with a diagnostic wax-up of your own teeth, a three dimensional model of your virtual treatment result that you can hold in your own hands or even take home so that you can see what your final result is expected to look like.

We Work Closely With A Team...

Dr. Gorczyca works with a team of her dental colleagues to make dental implants, fast, safe, and effective for you. When considering dental implants, it is important to ask “Is your surgeon a surgeon?” Dr. Gorczyca works with the most experienced oral surgeons who have placed thousands of dental implants.

For a complimentary implant consultation please call Gorczyca Orthodontics at (925) 757-9000 or visit us at www.clubbraces.com

Our team will assist you every step of the way through your dental implant procedure to help you achieve the world class smile that you deserve.

THERE’S NO NEED to live with missing teeth. Your missing teeth can be replaced with permanent dental implants.

Orthodontic Treatment May Be Needed Before Implants

Replacement of your missing teeth may require orthodontic treatment with braces or Invisalign prior to implant placement. Orthodontic treatment can open tooth spaces for ideal implant placement, an excellent bite, and a beautiful smile.

Your implant sites may need ridge augmentation (bone grafting) to increase bone in areas where teeth have been missing for a long time. Ridge augmentation will make your implants more stable and your teeth and gums more aesthetic.

If You Have Questions, Give Us A Call!

If you have questions about how to get started replacing your missing teeth, call us at Gorczyca Orthodontics in Antioch, CA 925-757-9000. We will assemble your tooth replacement team of a general dentist, oral surgeon, and orthodontist. We will work together to treatment plan your case and give you the smile of your dreams.

There's no need to live with missing teeth. Give yourself the gift of a cute smile at any age.

PARENTS OFTEN ASK orthodontists what to do if their child is missing one upper lateral incisor.

There Are Two Options For Restoring Your Smile

Missing one lateral incisor makes your smile asymmetrical. There are two options for restoring a symmetrical smile when missing one incisor:

Option 1: Extract the other lateral incisor and close the space

This options is often the treatment of choice for young children. Lateral incisor extraction prevents and need for a future implant, and minimizes time, money, and discomfort.

Option 2: Placement of one implant

A single tooth lateral incisor implant can be placed at adulthood, usually at age 19. The teenager may spend time in a Maryland bridge tooth replacement or a tooth replacement retainer until the time the implant is placed.

It is difficult to match the color, luster, size, and gum contour of a single lateral implant. This option will take more time, money, and additional procedures. It will however eliminate tooth extraction and in some cases give a broader smile.

We Can Help You Compare Choices

Your orthodontist will help you compare and contrast these two treatment choices to decide which is best for you and your family.

Extraction vs. Implant

These cases were treated by Board Certified Orthodontist Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca of Gorczyca Orthodontics in Antioch, California. Call us today to schedule a complimentary consultation if you have questions regarding missing one lateral incisor.

Most parents, patients, and orthodontists prefer Option 1. Here's to recovering your missing tooth and your symmetrical smile.

Top image by Flickr user PROromana klee used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

MOLARS COME INTO OUR MOUTHS EARLY in life, at age six. Called "Six Year Molars", first molars have deep grooves which, without sealants, are susceptible to cavities. If decay is left untreated for years, first molars can be lost.

Orthodontics Can Close The Gap

If you or your child has been told they have a "bombed out tooth", "severely decayed tooth", or "hopeless tooth" which needs extraction, consider orthodontic treatment to close the extraction space.

Your Own Teeth Can Be The Solution!

Orthodontists can move second molars into first molar spaces. Forward movement of a second molar will create room for third molars to come into the mouth. Your teeth will be saved from needing a dental bridge or implant by orthodontic closure of the tooth loss space.

This case was treated by Board Certified Orthodontist Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca, Gorczyca Orthodontics, Antioch, CA (925)757-9000. To find an orthodontist near you, visit the American Association of Orthodontists at www.mylifemysmile.com.

We Can Help Restore Your Natural Bite

Don't go toothless. Learn what an orthodontist can do to close your missing tooth space. Rearrange your natural teeth with orthodontic treatment for a healthy bite.

PARKING ON THE LINE is off course. A missing tooth creates a similar tooth parking problem. A missing tooth causes your remaining teeth fill the extra space. Teeth drift and lean into the space over time. Slowly your bite collapses.

A Missing Tooth Can Cause Misalignment

Midlines are off when there is a missing tooth. The upper and lower arch midlines no longer match up. The entire bite becomes asymmetrical. Tooth tips (cusps) meet tip to tip causing them to wear down. Tooth wear creates tooth sensitivity.

If you have a missing tooth, get your bite fixed with orthodontic treatment as soon as possible.

Your Orthodontist Can Help

Your orthodontist will either rearrange your remaining teeth or prepare you for future tooth replacement with an implant or a bridge to create a healthy and functional bite.

We Care About Your Smile

This case was treated by Board Certified Orthodontist Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca, Gorcyzca Orthodontics, Antioch, CA. Call us at (925) 757-9000. To find an orthodontist near you, visit the American Association of Orthodontists at www.mylifemysmile.org.

Don't let a missing tooth make your teeth park on the line. Line up your teeth for a healthy bite.

Top image by Flickr user Stephen Yeargin used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

WHAT IF YOU'RE 13 YEARS OLD AND you still have a baby tooth? A baby tooth at age 13 indicates an orthodontic and dental health problem.

Baby Teeth Shouldn’t Be Present After Age 13

Most children lose their last baby tooth by age 12. Girls can be up to two years earlier than boys and lose their last baby tooth by age 10. Boys could lose their last baby tooth as late as age 13. In either case, boys or girls, baby teeth present after age 13 are cause for concern.

If you or your child are over the age of 13 and still have a baby tooth, it is important to have an orthodontic examination with an orthodontist as soon as possible.

4 Possible Problems of a Baby Tooth at Age 13

#1: Your baby tooth is stuck to the bone (ankylosed).

It will not fall out on it's own. The permanent tooth below is unable to push the baby tooth out. This baby tooth needs to be extracted as soon as possible.

#2: The baby tooth is mechanically blocked from falling out.

It is obstructed by crowded side teeth. It can't make an exit, like being too wide for a doorway. There is crowding and braces are needed to allow the baby tooth to fall out or be extracted.

#3: The permanent tooth below is crooked, malpositioned, or sizeways and can't push the baby tooth out.

The permanent tooth in the bone under the baby tooth is is in a poor position and will never come into the mouth without orthodontic treatment. Even if the baby tooth is extracted the permanent tooth will not come into the mouth. Your orthodontist and oral surgeon can bring this impacted permanent tooth into position by removing the baby tooth, exposing the permanent tooth, and then moving it with braces into the mouth.

#4: A permanent tooth is missing.

Below the baby tooth there is a missing permanent tooth. You have tooth agenesis (congenitally missing tooth). You will need to maintain this baby tooth as long as possible and replace it with a dental implant or bridge in the future.

We're Here To Help!

If your general dentist has told you or your child that there is still a baby tooth at age 13, see an orthodontist as soon as possible. To find an orthodontist in you area, contact the American Association of Orthodontist at www.mylifemysmile.com.

At 13 years old, you're not a baby any longer. Take care of your last baby tooth today to find out how you can restore dental health.

Follow Dr. Gorczyca on Twitter @drgorczyca
Gorczyca Orthodontics, www.clubbraces.com.