Replacement of Missing Teeth

This section should be very important to many different people because studies show that over 178 million people in the US are missing at least 1 tooth. Teeth are lost for many reasons, not always just because you didn’t take care of them. But it is very important to understand what the effects are on your mouth from missing a tooth/teeth and why you should replace that missing tooth.

Teeth are put together in your mouth like little puzzle pieces. Look closely and you will see that the points of some teeth conveniently fit in to the grooves and valleys of the tooth above or below them. They also overlap nicely from top to bottom in a way that allows them to guide food into the position for chewing and your cheeks away from the chewing force. Teeth are also taking constant force from your jaws for regular functions like chewing, swallowing, talking, etc. Because of the precise way teeth fit together losing one or more will upset the balance and cause many different things to happen. Most often teeth will shift to try to accommodate for the missing tooth. This shifting can cause spacing in the front or back teeth, packing of food in between teeth, and form areas that are hard to clean in between teeth. Missing a tooth will also make it more difficult to chew in those areas.

How to replace a missing tooth:

There are 3 different options for replacement of missing teeth. Read below to learn about each option:

Fixed Bridges:

A fixed bridge is a way of replacing a missing tooth that uses the tooth on either side as anchors for the replacement tooth. The most popular version of this procedure is just to replace one missing tooth but it is possible to replace more if necessary. This is sometimes a preferred method of tooth replacement because it allows for something to be cemented in, unlike a removable partial denture.

Removable partial or complete dentures:

Dentures are collectively replacement s for missing teeth that must be taken in and out of the mouth for cleaning and maintenance. There are two main types of dentures: complete and partial.

1. A partial denture is a prosthetic made for replacement of 1 to many missing teeth in the upper and/or lower jaw. A partial uses remaining natural teeth to anchor the prosthetic and provide some stability and support. The partial denture is made by taking impressions and records of your mouth and using those to make a prosthetic replacement of missing teeth. The most common complaint of a partial denture is the fact that it has to be taken in and out regularly for cleaning and routine maintenance of the mouth. A partial will provide adequate esthetic results and allow the wearer to expand the areas of chewing force in most cases.
2. A complete denture is a prosthetic for someone who has no remaining teeth in the upper and/or lower jaw. Dentures are made by taking impression and records of your mouth and fabricating a set of teeth to replace some function and esthetics that original teeth provided. On average if natural teeth provided you with a 10 level of chewing force on a scale of 1 to 10 then dentures will provide a 2. The most common complaint about complete dentures is that they are loose because there is nothing left to attach them to. For people who have been denture wearers for a long time there is hope for some stability by using dental implants for support.

Dental implants:

Dental Implants are a great option for replacement of missing teeth. Follow this link to learn more.