What to Do When You Have Missing Teeth

It is hard to feel confident about your appearance when you are missing teeth. Your smile is one of the most important parts of your appearance, and it is one of the first things people notice when you interact with them. When one or more of your teeth have fallen out, you find yourself constantly feeling self-conscious whenever you open your mouth.

How to replace missing teeth

While losing natural teeth can be a frightening experience for some people, there are many solutions that can be used to improve the appearance of your teeth.

1. Get a dental implant

A dental implant is a great option when it comes to replacing a tooth that has fallen out. Implants replace the lost root and the part of the tooth that can be seen above the gumline. The implant is surgically inserted into the patient's jawbone and given up to six months to fuse with the surrounding bone tissue.

Implants are quite popular with dentists because they offer many great benefits:

  • Provide a natural-looking solution
  • Help to maintain healthy jawbone tissue
  • Only require brushing and flossing to maintain
  • Help to prevent alignment issues

2. Dental bridges

A dental bridge is another popular way to replace missing teeth. The devices consist of two main parts: a pair of crowns that are placed on the two teeth closest to the gap and a set of artificial teeth. The crowns are used to anchor down the bridges.

3. Dentures

Dentures are a third option when it comes to replacing missing teeth. There are three main types of dentures: full dentures, partial dentures and implant-supported dentures. A set of dentures can either be fixed or removable.

Partial dentures are used when the person has only lost a few teeth, while full denture sets are used for those who have lost most of their teeth. Dentures are the most economical alternative when it comes to replacing most of a person's real teeth, but they do come with some drawbacks:

  • Dentures tend to be the least comfortable option, as they have a tendency to slip in the wearer's mouth
  • Dentures often involve the use of weird-tasting dental adhesives
  • Getting used to wearing dentures can take a while
  • Dentures do not prevent the bone tissue loss that occurs when a person has lost a tooth
  • Dentures come with tiring cleaning requirements

The drawbacks associated with traditional dentures led to the invention of implant-supported dentures. As the name implies, these are a hybrid of traditional dentures and dental implants. The dentures are held in place by the implant, keeping the device firmly secured in the wearer's mouth.

With implant supported dentures:

  • There is no need for special maintenance
  • Bone tissue loss is prevented
  • The device is fixed in place

Explore your teeth replacement options

Stop by our clinic for an evaluation so we can determine which one of these missing teeth replacement options works best for you.

Request an appointment here: https://beniciadentist.com or call Southampton Dental Care at (707) 887-5075 for an appointment in our Benicia office.

Check out what others are saying about our services on Yelp: Read our Yelp reviews.

Recent Posts

What Are Invisalign Clear Aligners?

Invisalign® is a teeth-straightening treatment that entails wearing sets of custom-made transparent aligners over the teeth. Unlike traditional metal braces that use wires and brackets, the aligners are removable, which means wearers can take them off when they want to eat or brush their teeth. Learn about these clear aligners and how they are used to…

What You Need To Know About Partial Dentures

An article by GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare states that more than 18 million people wear partial dentures. Anyone who has been considering getting partials to improve their speech, ability to chew, and even their appearance is not alone. It helps to have the proper information beforehand, though. Partials are created from a wide variety of materials, each…

A Smile Makeover Can Improve Your Self-Esteem

A smile makeover often leads to increased self-esteem and confidence. Having a radiant, healthy smile also gives you increased success during professional and personal interactions. People with great smiles are often perceived as attractive and successful, while those with unsightly smiles are sometimes viewed as unclean and unsuccessful. A smile makeover is a combination of…

Recovering From Getting Dental Implants

Choosing dental implants is a great idea if you are looking into your tooth-replacement options because you are missing one or more of your teeth. This option is one that offers benefits that other replacement options do not, which is why so many patients are choosing implants to replace their missing teeth. Other replacement options…

Recent Posts

What Are Invisalign Clear Aligners?

What Are Invisalign Clear Aligners?

Invisalign® is a teeth-straightening treatment that entails wearing sets of custom-made transparent aligners over the teeth. Unlike traditional metal braces that use wires and brackets, the aligners are removable, which means wearers can take them off when they want to eat or brush their teeth. Learn about these clear aligners and how they are used to…

What You Need To Know About Partial Dentures

What You Need To Know About Partial Dentures

An article by GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare states that more than 18 million people wear partial dentures. Anyone who has been considering getting partials to improve their speech, ability to chew, and even their appearance is not alone. It helps to have the proper information beforehand, though. Partials are created from a wide variety of materials, each…