3 ways to replace missing teeth
A perfect smile is a reflection of one’s personality. The teeth play an influential role in this. Loss of teeth often distorts this and affects one’s self esteem and faith in oneself. There is also a loss of function such as difficulty in conversation and masticatory function. At variance to popular conception, teeth are not just lost in old age. They can be lost in younger people due to gum disease, decay, accident etc. Some people have a few or all teeth missing naturally-which is scientifically known as anodontia.
Why some teeth are missing
There are many reasons for missing teeth such as:
1. Teeth missing naturally
2. Teeth lost due to blow or accident
3. Teeth lost due to teeth decay
4. Teeth lost due to periodontal disease
5. Surgically removed teeth
Why to reconstitute missing teeth?
Replacing missing teeth is very important for dental hygiene. If teeth are not replaced, adjacent teeth drift to the vacant space and create a range of other problems such as malocclusion etc. Missing teeth also diminishes the efficiency of other teeth and can have damaging effects on them.
How to restore missing teeth?
Dentistry has evolved over time and gives us plenty of options to address dental flaws in our mouth. You have 3 options via which you can replace missing teeth.
1. Removable partial denture
2. Dental bridge
3. Dental implant
Now let’s take a look at each one of them in a bit more detail.
1. Removable partial denture
This is the earliest and cheapest method for replacement of lost teeth. As the name suggests, they can be removed and placed back as required. They have the disservice of not being as efficient as the other two alternatives. They are associated with difficulty in dialect and masticatory and often fall out if they are loose. Go for them if you are on a tight budget.
2. Dental Bridge
It is also known as fixed partial denture. As the name suggests, it is permanently fixed in the oral cavity. It connects one tooth to another overlapping the space created by the missing tooth/teeth. It is more aesthetic than r.p.d. It’s also more functionally effective than removable partial denture. It costs more than the removable partial denture but is associated with a more comfort level. The main disadvantage in a dental bridge is that two teeth which are immediately adjacent to the space (created by the missing tooth) have to be reduced with a crown placed on them. This is done to handle the false tooth which occupies the space of missing tooth.
3. Dental Implant
This is the most modernistic technique of missing tooth replacement today. Dental implant process is a surgical procedure. First, a hole is drilled in the jawbone in which a titanium screw is placed. Over this, the false tooth is placed. The dental implant looks and feels like a natural tooth. This is the best viable solution for missing tooth. They have a success rate of over 90%. However, this is the costliest way of replacing a missing tooth and may not be viable for people who are looking for a cost effective solution.
Choose the choice which is best suitable for your needs. Go for an implant when you are looking for the best solution and go for a removable partial denture if you are on a really small budget.
The above piece has been written by sane dentist who is a dentist and blogs on Sane dentist and is expert on whiten my teeth
and cost of dental implants
Processing your request, Please wait....
