Tooth Replacement Options

There are many options available to replace teeth. When a front tooth is lost in an accident, such as when playing a sport or in a car, time can be a major concern. Dentists can replace a tooth very quickly by fabricating a single tooth denture . Most people are not happy with their ability to chew with the denture in place, so they remove it when eating. Some have trouble talking with the denture at first, but speech improves with practice. This is the least expensive way to replace a tooth. Some patients will live with a denture for years before replacing it with a more permanent false tooth or another denture.

There are three basic ways to fix a missing tooth or teeth.

* A fixed bridge
* A removable appliance
* A dental implant

A fixed bridge

Having a bridge is like having three crowns. The teeth on either side of the missing tooth are prepared for crowns, an impression is made, and the case is sent to a dental laboratory. The laboratory then makes the crowns and fastens a false tooth between the two crowns – this is a bridge.The advantages of a bridge are that it is fixed, stable, and feels like your own teeth. In most cases it can be made to look just like you never had a tooth missing. The disadvantage is that you have to treat two teeth besides the one that was extracted – these teeth may otherwise be perfectly sound with nothing wrong.


A Removable Appliance.

Something removable can be used to replace a missing tooth. This can be anything from a budget “denture” (a piece of plastic with a false tooth attached) or a Cobalt Chromium, to a more sturdy metal and acrylic removable partial denture.The advantages of the removable partial denture appliance are that it is a more economical way to replace missing teeth than a fixed bridge. Also, you can replace multiple teeth with one appliance. If the span of missing teeth is three or more, or if there are not solid teeth on both sides of the missing teeth, a fixed bridge may not work.

The disadvantages are that it may not be as esthetic as a bridge. Clasps will be required to retain the removable partial, and it may not be possible or practical to entirely conceal those . Also, there may be some discomfort with wearing removable hardware in your mouth, and it is not as stable as a bridge.


A dental implant

A dental implant is an artificial “root” that is implanted in your jaw after a tooth extraction, and then a tooth is placed on it. Biologically, it is like placing an entirely new artificial tooth in your mouth.The advantages of an implant are: No teeth on either side have to be prepared for crowns, so there is no grinding on “good teeth” – you just fix the missing tooth. Implants can also span the space of multiple missing teeth. There is no limit to the span they can cover, as long as the patient’s health is good and there is healthy and adequate bone to support the implant. An implant also is fixed and feels just like your own teeth.

The disadvantages of implants are that they can cost more and be more and time-consuming, and the cost may not be covered by dental insurance. You will likely have to deal with two dentists – the dentist who does the surgery to place the implant, and the dentist who puts the false tooth on top of the implant. There is also a delay in getting the false tooth or teeth – a healing interval of several months may be required before the artificial root can have a tooth placed on it. There is also surgery involved with its attendant discomfort and healing period.

However, if you are missing multiple teeth or all your teeth, there is a strong advantage to dental implants in that they will preserve the jawbone. Sometimes dentists don’t explain the negative long-term consequences of missing teeth, which are that your jaw gradually shrinks until you can’t wear any removable appliance. So if you want to still be able to eat when you’re 80, you may want to consider investing in dental implants to replace those missing teeth.
Conclusion

Patients who do not replace missing teeth may experience shifting of teeth, spaces opening between teeth (resulting in food impaction), collapse of the bite, alterations in their chewing ability, TMJ pain, and trauma to the remaining teeth. People sometimes don’t replace teeth that are “in the back” of the mouth because no one sees them. The back teeth are needed to support the bite and grind up food. We can all swallow food that is not chewed thoroughly, but this compromises the nutrition we extract from our diet.

Dentures To Replace Missing Teeth

Even though awareness about tooth decay and gum disease is far greater now than it ever was, and dental technology has advanced to incredible levels in recent years, many people still suffer the pain and embarrassment of losing their teeth. Whether it is due to a head trauma or dental phobia has prevented a patient from visiting the dentist, missing teeth can cause significant health and lifestyle problems. The most common solution is to have a set of dentures fitted to act as artificial teeth. Without dentures, eating and talking can become very problematic and facial structure and tissue support is also adversely affected.

Dentures have often been the cause of stereotyping and stigmas which are finally being overturned.As dental technology improves with the increased use of computer aided design and manufacture dentists are able to achieve more realistic and lifelike results. One aspect of dentistry that has significantly improved over recent years is the manufacture of dentures. Unlike dentures of the past, modern dental prosthetics are comfortable, well-fitted and realistic.

Once fitted, it is important to keep up regular appointments with your dentist as gum tissue erosion can cause dentures to become loose and fall out which can be embarrassing. Well-maintained and cared for dentures and gums should be secure and limit the effect on the patient’s lifestyle. Some patients who are anxious about loose dentures resort to denture adhesives, which can be messy and prohibit the eating of certain foods. One option for anxious patients is to have a series of mini-implants fitted into the jawbone to act as a secure anchor for dentures to prevent the possibility of embarrassing loose dentures.For more information on dentures please call goma dental at 177-645-0704.

Dentures : Way To A Great Smile

Dentures are becoming less and less common as the standard of oral care increases. However, due to knocked out teeth from head trauma and dental decay, there are still a number of people who require artificial sets of teeth.Dentures are prosthetic devices constructed to replace missing teeth, and which are supported by surrounding soft and hard tissues of the oral cavity. Conventional dentures are removable, however there are many different denture designs, some which rely on bonding or clasping onto teeth or dental implants. Dentures come in the form of flexible plastic palates attached to a set of artificial ceramic teeth. They can be used to restore the appearance of a whole or partial dental arc.

Dental decay begins when plaque acid breaks down the enamel that surrounds the teeth. If these cavities penetrate to the centre of the tooth it can cause an infection that leads to tooth loss. Tooth infections are difficult to treat and can easily spread to other teeth. When many teeth have succumbed to infection it removes the rigid structure that supports the facial tissue. This causes sagging in the facial tissue which adds years to the patient’s appearance. An absence of teeth also causes an extensive erosion of the gums and makes eating very difficult. Dentures replace the teeth as facial supports and enable the patients to eat and live a normal life.

Dentures can help patients in a number of ways:
* Mastication - chewing ability is improved by replacing edentulous areas with denture teeth.
* Aesthetics - the presence of teeth provide a natural facial appearance, and wearing a denture to replace missing teeth provides support for the lips and cheeks and corrects the collapsed appearance that occurs after losing teeth.
* Phonetics - by replacing missing teeth, especially the anteriors, patients are better able to speak by improving pronunciation of those words containing sibilants or fricatives.
* Self-Esteem - Patients feel better about themselves.

Problems with dentures include the fact that patients are not used to having something in their mouth that is not food. The brain senses this appliance as "food" and sends messages to the salivary glands to produce more saliva and to secrete it at a higher rate. This will only happen in the first 12 to 24 hours, after which, the salivary glands return to their normal output. New dentures can also be the cause of sore spots as they compress the soft tissues mucosa (denture bearing soft tissue). A few denture adjustments for the days following insertion of the dentures can take care of this issue. Gagging is another problem encountered by a minority of patients. At times, this may be due to a denture that is too loose, too thick or extended too far posteriorly onto the soft palate. At times, gagging may also be attributed to psychological denial of the denture. (Psychological gagging is the most difficult to treat since it is out of the dentist's control. In such cases, an implant supported palateless denture may have to be constructed or a hypnotist may need to be consulted). Sometimes there could be a gingivitis under the full dentures, which is caused by accumulation of dental plaque.

Dentures should be secured by suction alone but often this is not enough due to erosion of the gums. Denture wearers often resort to using denture adhesive strips or gels, which can be very messy and prevent patients eating certain foods. A more permanent approach is to have a set of mini-implants secured to the jawbone to which the dentures can snap on or off. This provides a good level of security meaning patients do not have to feel anxious about loose dentures.Implant technology can vastly improve the patient's denture-wearing experience by increasing stability and saving his or her bone from wearing away. Implant can also help with the retention factor.

Dentures are fairly hard wearing but do need regular cleaning just like real teeth. They are usually taken out over night and cleaned. Dentists usually offer more extensive cleaning services as part of their wider denture treatments.

If you are suffering from missing teeth and want to restore the appearance of your smile, make an appointment with Goma dental to see what dentures could do for your teeth and life.