Page 17 - Southdown Dental Implant Book

16 | GETYOURSMILEBACK:EVERYTHINGYOUNEEDTOKNOW... 1. BAD NEWS ABOUT BONE LOSS Losing your teeth can be a terrible ordeal – espe- cially when you lose several at once! The loss is so shocking and upsetting that many people simply can’t get their heads around taking the first step towards restoring their smile. At the other end of the spectrum, some people lose their teeth gradually, and as the gaps in their teeth increase one-by-one over time, they become too complacent to make a big change. In the end, many patients turn to bridges, or full or partial dentures, to make their mouths “whole” again. Filling in those missing gaps above the gum line might make you look (if not feel) like your “normal” self again – but only for a little while. When you’re missing one or more teeth, you’ll notice over time that the source of your smile’s beauty is truly not just skin (or gum) deep.