If you are missing one or more teeth, there are lots of good reasons to replace them with a denture, bridge, or implant. You'll feel better about your smile, for one thing. And since missing teeth can force you to limit your diet, having them replaced expands what you can eat, too. The question is, which option should you choose? Each kind of tooth replacement has its own benefits and drawbacks, so what's right for you is a personal decision.
Types of Replacement Options
Bridges
A bridge is a permanent dental device that replaces a row of up to 3 missing teeth. A crown is attached to each end of the row. When the bridge is placed in the mouth, the restorations fill the tooth gap, and the crowns fit over the adjacent teeth. A bridge is a convenient way to replace missing teeth, as no surgery is needed for placement. And since the bridge is permanent, you clean the restorations the same way as you do your natural teeth.
Dentures
A denture can replace one tooth, several teeth, or a whole arch of teeth. This non-surgical replacement option is the most inexpensive when you have several teeth missing, but there are some downsides to dentures. They’re removable, which means they need to be cared for separately. And many people find their dentures can slip when coughing or laughing. Having dentures can also limit your diet somewhat.
Implant-supported restorations
These are tooth restorations attached to implant posts that are placed in the jawbone. They’re an excellent replacement for missing teeth, as they’re a permanent option that looks and functions completely naturally. However, they do require surgery and are the most expensive tooth replacement option, so they are not everyone’s first choice.
Consequences of Missing Teeth
Having missing teeth can give you a gap-toothed smile that may make you feel self-conscious. This aesthetic issue is important, of course, but having missing teeth can also affect your long-term oral health as well as the way your teeth function.
One major problem is that if you lose an incisor or molar, you may end up having problems biting or chewing food—which may force you to limit your diet. Over time this can lead to nutritional deficiencies.
The loss of one or more teeth also destabilizes tooth alignment, which contributes to a higher risk of problems such as tooth decay, gum disease, and tooth alignment problems. This is partly because, over time, the teeth adjacent to a gap will gradually shift into the gap.
Another important issue is that the biting and chewing action of teeth helps to keep the jawbone healthy. When teeth are missing, the bone underlying the gap loses density over time. This leads not only to further oral health problems but the loss of bone density changes the shape of the face, too. This is an issue that only dental implants can prevent, as they’re the only replacement option that mimics natural tooth function sufficiently.
Do You Have Missing Teeth?
If you have missing teeth, there are several reasons why it’s important to consider your replacement options carefully. Talk with your dentist about your options, and they’ll be happy to help you choose one that fits your needs and your budget.