If you have missing teeth for whatever reason, this can have a huge impact on your self-esteem. It can also change the way you eat, speak and take care of your remaining teeth. If you have missing teeth, one option is to do nothing about it, but this can have an impact on your jaw bone density and your bite. This can mean your remaining teeth move around more or become crooked. If you’re thinking about replacing missing teeth, you might be curious to know what options are available to you.
A denture is a removable metal or plastic framework that holds and artificial tooth in place. When only a few missing teeth need to be replaced, this will often be resolved with a partial denture. A partial denture for missing teeth will clip in place with metal clasps making it easy to remove and clean. Dentures can take a while to get used to, and you may find that some words are more difficult to say in the beginning, but many people say this quickly passes.
A bridge is an artificial tooth that is bonded in place by attaching two crowns to the adjoining teeth. This is a very effective way to deal with missing teeth as it will feel a lot more natural than a partial denture. There are a few different types of bridge available and your dentist will tell you which is more suitable for you.
The bridge will be cemented in place, so you don’t have to remove it and it will feel like your natural teeth, however, you will need to floss under the bridge. In order to prepare the surrounding teeth for the bridge, your dentist will need to remove the enamel from the surrounding teeth so that the bridge can be cemented in place. This is a permanent procedure which cannot be reversed.
The most modern way to deal with missing teeth is with a dental implant. A dental implant is a metal rod which is inserted into your jaw bone. Once this bonds with your jaw bone, an abutment can be attached to the rod and then an artificial tooth is added on top of this. This is a very successful treatment option for missing teeth that will not have an impact on the surrounding teeth.
You can choose to do nothing about your missing teeth. The empty space might not bother you and you may be fine eating and speaking with the gap. However, leaving a large gap – particularly in the back of your mouth – can have an impact on your bite. The teeth around the gap may move around and you may experience bone loss at the site.
