Losing one or more teeth can change your life in significant ways. For instance, you may have to eliminate certain foods from your diet if you lose an incisor or molar; or, you may feel self-conscious about your smile if you lose a front tooth. Tooth loss can have long-term negative consequences on oral health, too. The good news is, there are several options for replacing those missing teeth.
What are Your Options for Tooth Replacement?
If you’ve lost one or more teeth, your choice for tooth replacement typically depends on your budget, on how many teeth you’re missing, and whether you want a permanent, non-removable replacement.
Dentures
Dentures are made from an acrylic resin attached to a metal base. A denture can replace as many missing teeth as necessary and is a relatively inexpensive way to restore missing teeth. Since dentures are not fixed permanently in place they can sometimes slip in the mouth, and some foods, including chewy and tough foods, are off-limits.
Bridges
A bridge is a permanent dental device that replaces a row of up to 3 missing teeth. It’s anchored by crowns that fit over the teeth adjacent to the gap and stabilized with dental cement. Since they’re a permanent restoration option, bridges are maintained with brushing and flossing.
Dental implants
Implants are the closes restoration option to the natural tooth. Metal posts are surgically implanted into the jawbone, resembling the natural tooth root. Tooth restorations are then mounted on the implants to completely restore the smile’s function and aesthetics. The process can take several months to complete, typically at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars.
The Benefits of Replacing Missing Teeth
Restoring missing teeth has some obvious functional and aesthetic benefits: you’ll be able to bite and chew food more easily and the appearance of your smile may improve too, depending on the teeth you’re missing.
When teeth are missing, the long-term effect is that the teeth adjacent to the tooth gap are destabilized. They can start to shift the gap and cause tooth alignment problems that may increase your risk of gum disease and tooth decay. By replacing those missing teeth, you slow down or completely prevent adjacent teeth from shifting.
Another issue that can happen over time is that when teeth are missing, the jawbone beneath starts to lose density. This can change the whole shape of the face, even beyond the effects of tooth loss itself. This problem can be prevented only by dental implants, which mimic the function of natural teeth and prevent loss of jawbone density.
Talk to Your Dentist About Your Tooth Restoration Options
Choosing between dentures, bridges, and implants can be difficult, so it’s important to get good advice from your dentist when you’re considering your options. Your dentist can provide you with in-depth information about the benefits of each choice, helping you decide what’s best for you.