The American Association of Endodontists published a survey that showed that 70 percent of American fear losing a natural tooth – the same percentage that fear root canals, the procedure that can save that same natural tooth. Most of the fear of root canals is based on outdated ideas of the treatment.  Almost 90 percent of patients who had undergone root canal treatment were satisfied with the treatment they received.

Modern root canal treatment is nothing to be afraid of and in most cases can save the infected tooth. For those cases where the tooth cannot be saved the patient now has options for treatment. A few years ago when you lost a tooth the only way to replace it was using a dental bridge. Today, for most patients, the optimal treatment for a missing tooth is a dental implant.

Dental implants fuse with the bone in the jaw and act just like a natural tooth root. Not only does the implant serve as the anchor for the special implant crown that replaces the lost tooth, it also helps maintain the health of the jaw by reducing bone loss.

As always, prevention is the key to avoiding tooth loss in the first place. It used to be that losing teeth was considered a normal part of aging, today we all expect to live out our lives with a complete set of natural teeth! Better understanding of oral hygiene including home care and the importance of regular professional cleanings have made losing teeth much more rare.

Please contact StoneRidge Dental Care today at 614-476-6696 to schedule your dental hygiene appointment. If you have a tooth that is bothering you don’t wait until you are in pain – call us today so we can stop a small problem before it becomes larger. Keeping your smile healthy is our goal!