Fix Missing Teeth
Missing teeth can be a real sore spot; a source of embarrassment and that can lead to a sharp decline in one’s self-confidence. These gaps in one’s smile can also lead to a reshaping of one’s oral anatomy, as over time neighboring teeth will begin to shift and move to fill in the empty spaces. For both of these reasons, replacing even a single tooth is often preferable to leaving a gap. Below are the principal ways in which single teeth are replaced.
Dental Implants
The strongest, most durable, and easiest tooth replacement technology to care for are dental implants. Much like the teeth that they replace, dental implants are made in a special three-part fashion that mimics the structurally important parts of a tooth, from the roots to the crown. Dental implants require an initial surgical procedure to embed the implant fixture – a small titanium post that functions as the prosthetic roots of the implant – into the jawbone, where it then requires two to six months to become one with the hard tissues of the jaw. When the implant fixture has fully integrated, the abutment or connecting piece can be attached, and the implant crown will finally be cemented to the abutment. The final result is an incredibly strong and natural looking tooth that can be cleaned and maintained by simply brushing and flossing, just like the rest of one’s teeth.
The only drawbacks to dental implants are the cost and the time that it takes to create and install them. Given their durability and functionality, however, many people find that they are well worth both the time and the cost.
Dentures
While full dentures are usually the first thing to come to mind when the term “dentures” is used, there are in fact a full range of dentures used to replace teeth, from one to many to all. Removable partial dentures are a type of denture that can be used to replace a single tooth. As the name implies, these dentures are worn during waking hours and removed at night for cleaning. Unlike dental implants, the structure of removable partial dentures is fully above the gum line; as such, there are parts, including clips or clasps, that can sometimes be visible. Depending on the area of the mouth in which the missing tooth is to be replaced, this can be a definite cosmetic drawback. For some, however, the aesthetic appeal is less important than the function and affordability that removable partial dentures provide.
Temporary dentures, also known as “flippers,” can also be used in the short term to replace a single missing tooth. These are designed to be temporary solutions, though, usually used only in the interim between having a partial denture or implant created.
Bridge
Finally, bridges are another solution for a single missing tooth. Bridges require existing teeth on either side of the missing tooth to shore up support for the bridge itself; the unique function of the bridge also requires that these teeth be filed down in order to be connected to the prosthesis. While this can be a drawback in cases where adjacent teeth are healthy, it can be an added benefit of those teeth are in need of repair, as a bridge can solve both problems at once. Like both dental implants and dentures, bridges can replace on or multiple teeth at once.