Imagine heading over to your favorite restaurant to celebrate with your family and friends, and finding your menu options limited to soup because you’re too embarrassed to chew and eat in front of friends with a missing tooth. This is only one of the ways a missing tooth impacts your life. It can also affect your speech, confidence, and oral health. Dr. Brett Noorda, your dentist in Green Valley discusses your options for replacing missing teeth.
Missing Teeth and Oral Health
When you’re missing a tooth, it puts your healthy remaining teeth at a higher risk for more loss and damage due to shifting. When you’re missing a root, your jawbone begins to resorb, or deteriorate because nothing is there to stimulate it. Unfortunately, without a replacement, one missing tooth is a downward spiral for more tooth loss, but the good news is that Dr. Noorda offers different options for replacement.
Dental Bridge
A bridge is a fixed appliance that utilizes two healthy anchor teeth, or crowns that are attached to one or more adjacent prosthetic teeth. It’s custom designed to match the shade and shape of your existing teeth to naturally complete your smile. Because your bridge is fixed and not removable, you’ll brush it just as you would your natural teeth.
Full and Partial Dentures
A denture is a removable appliance that is designed to replace an entire arch of teeth. Typically made of acrylic, a denture uses suctions or an adhesive to stay in place. There is a learning curve as you get used to eating and talking with your new denture, but it immediately restores your teeth and smile, changing the appearance of your face.
A partial denture is also removable and uses healthy remaining teeth to anchor to with a metal clasp. Prosthetic teeth attach to this appliance that is designed much like a retainer, and they fill in the spaces like a puzzle piece. This is a great option for patients who still retain multiple healthy teeth.
Dental Implants
Implants are by far the best replacement option for missing teeth because they replace both your root and your tooth, which protects the integrity of your oral health. A titanium post replaces your root, while a porcelain crown replaces your tooth. Boasting a 95% success rate, dental implants are reliable, safe, and effective ways to replace one or more missing teeth. They can also help to support dental bridges, dentures, and partials for a more stable and secure fit.
If you’ve struggled with missing teeth, Dr. Noorda and his team can help you. At Dental Excellence we use only the highest quality porcelain and dental materials to ensure that our patients are receiving a restoration that is truly exceptional. Give us a call today to learn more and schedule your next appointment.