What are Your Options for Replacing a Missing Tooth?

Missing a natural tooth not only affects your smile and personality, but can also seriously affect your ability to eat and speak. Therefore, it is important that you must replace your missing teeth as soon as they are lost. This article offers various options that can be utilized by your dentist when it comes to replacing your missing teeth. But, before we discuss tooth replacement options, it is important that we understand why replacing missing teeth is important.

Why you Must Replace your Missing Teeth Immediately?

Tooth implant instalation process

Here are the problems which can arise if you do not get your lost natural teeth replaced in time:

So, what are My Options?

Now, we come to the options available for replacing missing natural teeth:

Dentures

dentures

Dentures are removable appliances that derive their support from the underlying oral soft tissues and neighbouring teeth with the help of metallic extensions called clasps. They are made from acrylic resins or metal alloys, and they can be used for replacing one, multiple or all missing teeth in the jaw.

Pros of Removable Dentures

Cons of Removable Dentures

Bridges

dental bridge implant

Bridges, as the name suggests, are fixed appliances which tend to “bridge” the gap created by missing teeth. Dental bridges consist of crowns which rest on the supporting natural teeth present on both sides of the missing tooth gap. The gap is then hidden with a crown which is used for replacing the lost teeth.

Pros of Dental Bridges

Cons of Dental Bridges

Dental Implants

Dental Implant illustration

A dental implant is a screw-shaped fixture made from titanium alloys, which is directly embedded within the jawbone to serve as the root component of an artificial tooth. Once an implant becomes firmly embedded inside the bone, a suitable prosthesis like a crown, denture or a fixed complete bridge is attached over it to complete the artificial tooth structure. Dental implants are by far the most popular form of tooth replacement, owing to their excellent durability and strength.

Pros of Dental Implants

Cons of Dental Implants

When it comes to replacing your missing teeth, your dentist is the best person to advise regarding the best option for you. However, dental implants have nowadays become the most preferred option for tooth replacement, both among patients and dentists. If you also want to get your smile and confidence back by replacing your lost teeth, then dental implants should be your first choice.

Find out more about Dental Implants with Dental Design today!

References

  1. A Review Of Masticatory Ability and Efficiency
    Gunhild Boretti-Matthias Bickel-Alfred Geering - (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022391305803816)
  2. Interventions For Replacing Missing Teeth: Augmentation Procedures Of the Maxillary Sinus - Esposito, M - 2014: Cochrane Library Marco Esposito-Pietro Felice-Helen Worthington
    (https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD008397.pub2/abstract)
  3. Tooth Loss, Chewing Ability and Quality Of Life Sanders
    Slade- Carter-G. H.- Hildebrandt-B. L.- Dominguez- Schork-K. J.- Joshipura- Willett- Douglass- Krall- Hayes- Garcia- Moynihan- Bradbury-R. E.- Gibson- Dillman- Slade- Allen- Slade- Nuttall- Sanders- Brooks- Diener-R. A.- Emmons-R. J.- Larsen- Griffin-J. L.- Leake- Carter-J. L.- Fleiss- Sackett-R. H.- Fletcher- Fletcher- Mangione- Steeh- Asch-M. K.- Jedrziewski-N. A.- Christakis- Yammarino- Skinner-T. L.- Childers-J. L.- Leake- Slade- Spencer- Roberts-Thomson-G. H.- Gilbert-R. P.- Duncan-J. G.- Steele- Burt- Ismail- Morrison- Brennan- Spencer-K. F.- Roberts-Thomson - (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11136-007-9293-2)
  4. Attitudes Towards Replacement Of Teeth Among Patients At the Institute Of Dental Sciences, Belgaum, India
    Kamal Shigli-Mamata Hebbal-Gangadhar Angadi - (http://www.jdentaled.org/content/71/11/1467.short)
  5. Single-tooth Replacement: Factors Affecting Different Prosthetic Treatment Modalities
    Christensen- Udoye-G. Kvale-U. Berggren-P. Milgrom- Ken- Hebel- Reena- Gajjar- Theresa Hofstede-A. Sheiham- Maizels- Cushing-D. Grembowski-P. Milgrom-L. Fiset- Brennan- Spencer-B. Öwall- Kayser- Carlsson- Douglas- Gammon- Atwood- Davenport- Basker- Heath- Ralph- Glantz-Thomas Salinas-Michael Block- Avishai- Sadan- Garcia- Rj- Cronin- Meyenberg- Imoberdorf- Urs- Paul- Krenander-Niklaus Lang- Gabor- Tepper- Robert- Haas- Georg- Mailath- Christoph- Thomas- Bernhart- Gabriel- Monov- Georg- Watzek-S. Hobo- Whitsett-D. Zlataric-A. Celebic-M. Valentic-Peruzovic-V. Jerolimov-J. Panduric-D. Arnbjerg-B. Soderfeldt-S. Palmqvist- Ge- Cw- Mj - (https://bmcoralhealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1472-6831-11-34)
  6. Osseointegrated Implants in Adolescents. An Alternative in Replacing Missing Teeth?
    Birgit- Kerstin- Friberg- Bertil - (https://academic.oup.com/ejo/article-abstract/16/2/84/398561)