Can You Get Veneers With Missing Teeth?
Having dental veneers placed is a great option available to patients who are looking to improve their smile. Veneers are made of thin porcelain that is permanently cemented onto the front surface of an existing tooth. If you are looking to correct chips, cracks, or even discoloration or simply don't like the natural shape of your teeth, veneers might be a great option for you. Since veneers sit on top of a tooth, they cannot be used to replace a missing tooth.
Do I need to replace a missing tooth?
The jaw bone relies on stimulation from tooth roots for growth and regeneration so when a missing tooth is not replaced, the bone will begin to deteriorate in the area and can lead to further tooth loss and changes in facial structure. Even if you are missing a tooth in the back of your mouth that no one can see, it is important to replace the tooth to ensure the health of your remaining teeth.
Additionally, healthy teeth will begin to shift to fill the space left by a missing tooth causing teeth to become crowded and crooked. Misaligned teeth are much harder to clean than straight teeth so patients are at a higher risk for periodontal disease.
Replacing Missing Teeth
There are a number of treatment options available to replace a missing tooth including dental bridges, dentures, and dental implants. A bridge is a partial denture that is permanently fixed in place and can be used to replace one or a few missing teeth in one area. Bridges use two crowns that hold fake teeth in place. The crowns are cemented onto neighboring healthy teeth and fill the space with a fake tooth, called a pontic.
A more permanent option is dental implants. A dental implant is a titanium post which can support an individual implant crown or even a full implant-supported denture. Dental implants also help support bone health since they are essentially an artificial tooth root and can stimulate bone regeneration the same as a natural root. Implants are placed directly into the jawbone and integrated with the bone to provide a stable foundation for the implant prosthesis. An implant crown is then either cemented or screwed onto the implant.
An implant-supported denture is placed much the same way as an individual crown except the number of implants used to support a full arch of teeth will be in between four and eight instead of one. The overall time frame for dental implants may be up to six months, including healing.
Even though implants are more expensive and take much longer to complete than other restorative options, they have the ability to last a lifetime whereas other restorations may need to be replaced every so often and do not support bone health. While they are more expensive, their longevity makes them more practical for some patients.
If you are missing teeth, it is important to discuss your options with your dentist and understand the process of each treatment option. Not everyone is a candidate for dental implants but your dentist can help you determine which solution will be best for you.