Losing a tooth causes more problems than many people realize. Appearance concerns, issues with chewing, and jawbone weakness can all affect your smile after tooth loss. Fortunately, your periodontist, Dr. F. Neal Pylant of Athens, GA, can help restore your missing teeth with dental implants.

7 Consequences of Tooth Loss

The loss of one or more teeth may affect:

• Chewing: Tearing, grinding, and chewing food becomes difficult after the loss of one tooth. When you've lost multiple teeth, chewing can become quite challenging.
• Your Appearance: The change in your appearance is the most obvious effect of tooth loss. When you're used to seeing a full set of teeth in the mirror, gaps can be very disconcerting. Tooth loss may also cause your remaining teeth to drift and overlap, altering your smile and causing bite problems.
• Speech: Your teeth play a crucial role in clear speech. Missing teeth may cause you to slur words or struggle to pronounce certain sounds.
• Your Self-Esteem: After tooth loss, you may feel less self-confident around other people and may even stop smiling to avoid revealing your teeth.
• Your Earning Potential: Although you're just as skilled as you were before you lost one or more teeth, gaps in your smile may make it harder to get a new job or advance in your career.
• Your Health: Your digestive system works better when food is thoroughly chewed before you swallow it. If you can't chew food completely, you may be more likely to experience stomach upset and other gastrointestinal symptoms. Losing all of your teeth can affect your ability to eat a variety of healthy foods and may result in nutritional deficiencies.
• Your Jawbone: Tooth loss can cause jawbone resorption, a problem that occurs when your jawbone shrinks due to decreased stimulation from tooth roots. Resorption may eventually cause your remaining teeth to loosen and may contribute to facial sagging.

Dental Implants Restore Your Missing Teeth

Your Athens periodontist may recommend dental implants to replace your missing teeth. Implants added to your jawbone serve as synthetic roots and gradually bond to the bone. When combined with dental crowns, they completely restore your smile to its natural state.

The versatile restoration method is an excellent choice no matter how many teeth you've lost and is a good option for most people. Dental implants offer exceptional biting power, feel natural, keep your jawbone strong, and could possibly last for your entire lifetime.

Need Dental Work? Give Us a Call

Would you like to improve your smile with dental implants? If so, call your Athens, GA, periodontist, Dr. F. Neal Pylant, at (706) 543-0026 to schedule an appointment.

A major concern for patients is periodontitis. It’s a serious form of gum disease that often leads to tooth loss when it isn’t remedied quickly. There are clear signs of periodontitis that shouldn’t be ignored, including loosening pockets, bad breath, and bleeding gums. Learn more about periodontitis and how it can be treated by periodontist Dr. F. Neal Pylant, in Athens, GA.

What Is Periodontitis?
Gum disease is an oral health problem that affects a significant number of American adults and seniors. It can progress to a condition called advanced periodontitis. The gums weaken and detach from the teeth due to the proliferation of bad bacteria. Once gum disease becomes periodontitis, it’s crucial to have it treated with aggressive periodontal therapies if you want to save your smile. 

What Causes It?
Poor oral hygiene is the most common cause of periodontitis. Patients who fail to brush their teeth regularly and floss daily are most susceptible to it. As food and germ particles build up around the gumline, this combination turns into plaque and tartar, which is full of bad bacteria. Some patients are more prone to developing periodontitis due to genetics or family history.

How Is Periodontitis Treated Successfully?
Gum disease is best treated when it is caught by your Athens-area periodontist in its earliest stages. However, there are treatments that can help advanced periodontitis. Here are some of the most common solutions:

- Scaling and root planing to remove plaque build-up.
- Periodontal laser surgery to get to the root of the problem and eliminate bad tissue.
- Gum grafting surgery for receding gums.
- Dental implants when a tooth replacement is needed.
- Changing your diet for the better, avoiding tobacco products, and flossing daily.

Get Help with Gum Disease
Close to 50 percent of American adults have a problem with gum disease according to the CDC. When gum disease gets to the point where it is diagnosed as periodontitis, it needs to be treated quickly and efficiently. Call 706-543-0026 today to schedule an appointment for periodontal therapy with Dr. F. Neal Pylant at his office in Athens, GA.

According to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly half of American adults over the age of 30 suffer from mild (i.e., gingivitis) to severe gum disease (i.e. periodontitis). Like many health conditions, gum disease is often diagnosed and treated after it has progressed, when the symptoms and risks to your oral health can be more severe. But there are early warning signs that can raise a red flag and let you know it is time to see a periodontist for evaluation and treatment. Dr. Neal Pylant, a periodontist in Athens, GA, offers both surgical and non-surgical periodontal treatment for patients suffering from various stages of this condition.

Gum Disease Diagnosis and Treatment in Athens, GA

Periodontal disease causes inflammation of the gums and supporting bone tissue. It is a progressive condition, usually starting out in the mild form called gingivitis. If left untreated, it will continue to worsen and become periodontitis. In advanced cases, gum disease can lead to tooth loss. According to the National Institutes of Health, periodontal disease is the leading cause of tooth loss for adults. And while the risk of developing gum disease does go up with age, with men and women over the age of 65 at a much higher risk than their younger peers, gum disease can affect anyone, whether age 30 or 80.

What to Look For - Signs and Symptoms of Gum Disease

The most common early sign of gum disease is bleeding gums. Other symptoms to look out for include:

• Bad breath
• Red, swollen gums
• Receding gums
• Signs of infection like pus around the gums or between the teeth
• Loose teeth

Find a Periodontist in Athens, GA

Gum disease can strike at any age, even children, but a good oral hygiene routine, regular dental exams and professional cleanings can help to lower your risk. We treat adults and children in our practice. If you would like more information, please contact our office by calling 706-543-0026 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Pylant today.

Are you unsure if dental implants are the ideal tooth restoration option for you? Our Athens, GA, periodontist, Dr. Neal Pylant, explains how you can benefit from implants.

Implants offer a long-lasting solution

Dental implants are made of titanium, a lightweight metal that bonds to bone. The small posts take the place of your roots and are inserted into your jaw during a minor surgical procedure in our Athens office. It usually takes about three to six months for your implants to osseointegrate, or bond, to your jawbone. Once osseointegration occurs, you'll return to your general dentist to be fitted for a crown that will be added to the top of the implant. In most cases, dental implants will last your entire life. There's no limit to the number of missing teeth dental implants can replace.

Dental implants are the most comfortable option

If you know anyone who has dentures, you've probably heard that they can be uncomfortable if they don't fit properly. Slipping dentures can irritate your gums, making it uncomfortable to chew. Although bridges are much less likely to slip, they can also be uncomfortable if they don't fit well.

Because your new crown is firmly attached to your dental implant, it won't move or slip. In fact, you may find it difficult to tell which tooth is artificial. Comfort is a key reason that many people choose dental implants.

You won't have to alter your diet when you choose dental implants

Dentures reduce your biting power significantly, which makes it impossible to eat hard or tough foods. If you don't want to change your diet, either implants with crowns or implant-supported dentures offer a better option. As already mentioned, implants with crowns do not move or slip. With implant-supported appliances, dentures are attached to implants or a metal framework attached to your jawbone. Both implant options are very stable and give you the power you need to eat corn on the cob or bite into an apple.

Dental implants protect your jawbone

After tooth loss, your jawbone begins to shrink. As the bone recedes, teeth may loosen and fall out. Jawbone recession also causes the muscles in the lower part of your face to sag, making you look older. Dental implants press on your jawbone just as your roots did and help keep it strong and healthy.

Would you like to find out if dental implants are right for you? Call our Athens, GA, periodontist, Dr. Pylant, at (706) 543-0026 to schedule an appointment.

Welcome to the Blog of F. Neal Pylant, D.M.D., P.C.

Whether you are an existing patient or searching for a dentist in the Athens, GA area, we’re excited you are here. With the dental industry advancing, we recognize the importance of keeping our patients and visitors up to date with all of the new and exciting things taking place in our practice.

As we move forward with our blog, we hope to promote dental awareness as a vital part of your healthy lifestyle. Here you will find a variety of articles and topics including dental news, advancements in dental technology and treatments, practical oral health advice and updates from our practice.

We hope you find our blog to be helpful, engaging and informational to ensure your best dental health. 

As always, feel free to contact our Athens, GA office with any dental questions or concerns.

-- F. Neal Pylant, D.M.D., P.C.