Are you missing teeth? Does this make it more difficult to chew or speak? Do these teeth show when you smile? Teeth are lost due to many different reasons. Trauma, decay, systemic complications, and other reasons can leave a person without one or more teeth. Your dentist cares about your existing teeth and one of the primary goals in dentistry is the retention of the healthy natural teeth. When teeth are already missing, however, whats done is done. Here we will discuss several different treatments that are available for you from your dentist.
What Should I do if I am Missing Teeth?
Since there are many forms of treatment available and a myriad of contributing features to determine the best course of treatment, visiting your dentist should be the first step.
What are the Problems Associated with Missing Teeth?
There are some obvious results of missing teeth. These include the aesthetic aspects as well as functional repercussions such as difficulty in chewing or speaking. There are, however, more “hidden” detriments to missing teeth. First, the bone that holds your teeth in place is dependent on the consistent pressure the teeth exert on it to stay healthy. This complex signaling mechanism is disrupted when teeth are missing. The result is that the bone resorbs. This means that the bone essentially eats itself away. This is best represented when looking at someone who has had dentures for many years. Their face appears sunken in and they tend to get a “witch’s chin”.
Another detriment to missing teeth is drifting of the adjacent teeth into the place where the missing tooth used to be. This is particularly problematic because those teeth do not belong there. Some people may think that the teeth are funny shaped. The reality is that every single little crack, ridge, cusp, and every other part of the creation of teeth is for a specific purpose. Problems associated with these drifting teeth can be extremely expensive and difficult to correct.
Options for the Replacement of Missing Teeth
Dentures
Dentures are a viable recourse for the replacement of teeth. There are several types of dentures:
First, removable partial dentures are designed to replace two or more teeth. These use the adjacent teeth to brace the replacement false teeth. These systems are created out of a denture resin that forms the upper or lower inside of your mouth and support denture teeth which are generally made of resin or porcelain.
Complete dentures, by contrast, are designed to replace all of the teeth in the upper or lower arch. They are created with a similar design but cover a larger area.
Dentures can also be fixed in place by the support created from implants.
Bridges
Bridges, also called fixed partial dentures, are designed to replace one or more teeth. They are generally not indicated when more than two teeth are missing. The difference between the traditional dentures and bridges is that bridges are fixed in the mouth. When a tooth is missing, the teeth on either side of that are carefully trimmed down and a “crown” is placed on them.
These crowns look just like natural teeth. Attached to these crowns is a false tooth that looks just like a natural tooth that fills the edentulous area.
Implants
Implants are the treatment of choice by many dentists. Implants are a terrific form of tooth replacement for several reasons.
First, implants are a single tooth replacement for a single tooth problem. The fates of other teeth are not tied into the treatment for the missing tooth. Second, implants are fixed into the bone. They will feel more like a natural tooth than dentures. The titanium implant actually fuses to the bone and anchors them strongly. Finally, implants are the one form of treatment for the replacement of a missing tooth that preserves the bone. The bone receives stimulation from the implant and the signaling mechanisms are upheld.
Ponte Vedra Complete Dentistry is a general and cosmetic dentist located in Ponte Vedra Florida. Dr. Harth and Dr. Townsend are family dentists serving Ponte Vedra, Jacksonville Beach, and surrounding communities. They are both Jacksonville natives and are dedicated to serving their patients in a friendly family oriented environment. If you would like to schedule a consultation please call Ponte Vedra Complete Dentistry at (904)285-7711 or contact us online.