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.
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