5 Options to Replace Your Missing Teeth

Do you know that one missing tooth can weaken the overall structure of your teeth and lead to the loss of more teeth?

Your teeth have evolved to work together in helping you speak, chew and smile. Missing a few teeth can hinder you in these simple activities as the loss of a single tooth can change the shape of your mouth, affect your bite and make you look older.

But replacing your missing teeth is more than just about being visually appealing, leaving spaces in your smile can lead to a whole lot of other dental problems as well. So what are your dental options if you are missing a few teeth?

Here are 4 Non-Implant Options to Replace Your Missing Teeth:

Fixed Bridges

Dental bridges are created by reducing the size of the teeth on each side of the gap, making it easier to fill the gap with a new crown. This new crown can then be suspended between the two teeth and together the crown and two teeth can make a dental bridge.

Here are 3 Advantages of Fixed Bridges:

•   Are more budget-friendly than implants
•   Don’t have to be removed to be cleaned
•   Look, feel and function like your natural teeth

Removable Dentures

Using removable dentures can be a bit of a problem due to stability and comfort problems which can affect your appetite and speech. Using removable dentures over a long period of time can weaken the bone underneath the removable partial dentures. This can affect your smile and facial appearance.

Composite Bridge Work

This is an alternative to traditional fixed bridgework whereby the composite bridge is made of composite resin materials that are the same color as your teeth. The main advantage of using composite bridgework is that the two anchor teeth are not grounded to your jaw.

Here are 3 advantages of composite bridge work:

• There are no metals and microbes problems.
• Your anchor teeth are left in good condition and not ground to posts.
• You can save at least one of your teeth if the anchor teeth are compromised.

Complete Dentures or Partial Dentures

Complete dentures are the most cost-effective option in the short term but they can make it a bit awkward for you in social settings as they tend to click in your mouth when you eat or speak. Your chewing power will be greatly reduced when wearing a complete denture as compared to having an implant-supported restoration. Wearing partial dentures does not prevent bone loss the way that implant supported options do if they are not supported by the rest of your teeth.

Partial Dentures – Partial dentures can cause problems due to the comfort and stability factors which affect your speech and eating habits.

Dental Implants Option

Dental implants are artificial pillars that have been planted in your jaws through surgery whose purpose is to keep your replacement teeth affixed to in their intended positions.

These dental implants are usually composed of titanium along with other materials that are accepted by your body.

You should consult your family dentist to check whether you have enough bone density to support implants or to build up the area in your mouth that needs the implant. You as a patient should also be prepared to commit yourself to following a daily oral care routine as well as scheduling regular dental visits.

Visiting your family dentist can help you decide if dental implant treatment is the right choice for you or not.