A smile is confidence. It's a banner that declares you are ready for anything this world has to throw at you. It's a hello that opens doors. A smile should be something you never have to live without. However, if you knock out a tooth, your smile no longer conveys happiness, nor does it exude confidence. Instead, a broken smile can invite jeers. If you have knocked out a tooth, you need not go through life tight-lipped, afraid to smile. Instead, you can get a prosthetic tooth and get your smile back. 

What is a Prosthetic Tooth?

A prosthetic tooth starts with a titanium root. Titanium is a durable, lightweight metal, but more importantly, it will not react with the body. Thus, you don't have to worry about your root corroding and contaminating your body. With your root firmly in place, you are ready for a crown. Crowns are typically made from a ceramic clay that will hold up well to the conditions in your mouth while mimicking the look of natural teeth. Once your prosthetic tooth is in place, it will be hard for people to tell the difference between your new tooth and your original teeth. 

How Do You Receive a Prosthetic Tooth?

The process of implanting a prosthetic tooth is not painless. First, an oral surgeon, such as Oral Implants & Reconstructive Dentistry Inc, will have to drill a hole down into your jawbone. This process is just as painful as it sounds, so while you could have your mouth numbed with a local anesthetic, you will probably want to be put under with nitrous oxide for this procedure. Once the oral surgeon has opened a hole for the root, he will place the root itself. Your jaw then has to heal around this root for up to six months before the dentist can cement the crown in place. You will have to invest time and money to get a prosthetic tooth, but once you have your new tooth, all the time and money will seem worth it. 

A prosthetic tooth behaves just like a natural tooth, so you can eat corn off the cob and/or bite into an apple without worrying about your tooth getting damaged or falling out. Maybe most importantly, your new tooth will fill the hole in your smile. Once again, you can smile with the alacrity and freedom of a child without worrying about names or disparaging looks. Prosthetic teeth are truly a marvel of modern dentistry.