Living with missing teeth can be distressing at any age. From difficulty chewing to cosmetic concerns, dental gaps can cause much more distress than a simple gap in one’s smile. For many, it is often clear that replacing a missing tooth or teeth is best, but with so many options for tooth replacement today it can be difficult to pinpoint the perfect solution. This article will help clarify some of the existing options for missing teeth and provide some benefits and drawbacks to each.
Conventional Dentures
For fully edentulous patients (those missing all of their teeth), conventional dentures have provided an affordable and relatively quick solution. Made in a laboratory using impressions taken from the patient’s mouth, conventional dentures can be an attractive alternative to dental implants that must be surgically implanted. With a lower price point to boot, conventional dentures check many of the boxes that people look for in a dental solution: quick, affordable, and painless.
However, many find that while the process of creating conventional dentures is easier to undergo than that of dental implants, the experience of wearing them leaves something to be desired. Because they rely upon gravity, fit, and dental adhesives to keep them in place, conventional dentures can slip and slide in the mouth when it is least convenient. For some, this is a price worth paying for an affordable and non-invasive solution. For others, it is a deal breaker.
Dental Implants
In contrast to conventional dentures, dental implants require a lengthier and more involved creation process but also provide a more natural looking and feeling solution to the problem of missing teeth. Anchored deep into the jawbone via an initial surgical procedure, dental implants mimic the full structure of an organic tooth, from the unseen dental roots to the top of the crown. For this reason, they are stronger, more durable, and more natural looking than any other tooth replacement solution on the market today. They are also among the most versatile, capable of replacing a single tooth several teeth, or all of one’s teeth.
While these are important benefits, there are also some drawbacks to dental implants; for one, the installation process is lengthy, lasting anywhere from three to nine months. Dental implants are also considerably more expensive than conventional dentures, and repairs must be done with the patient sitting in the dentist’s chair rather than in a laboratory. However, dental benefits also withstand the test of time much better than conventional dentures, meaning that these costs can be spread out over a longer period of time.
Implant Retained Dentures and Bridges
One option to consider for edentulous patients who do not want to go to the trouble or expense of a full mouth of dental implants are implant-retained dentures, which rely upon a small number of strategically placed dental implants to hold full arches of dentures. Similarly, implant-retained bridges can be used to replace a small number of missing teeth in the same part of the mouth with as few as one single dental implant.
Not only are implant-retained dentures and bridges more streamlined, leading to increased comfort and improved appearance, they are also held in place by the dental implants, which improves functionality dramatically as compared to conventional dentures.
The Importance of Replacing Missing Teeth
Whichever option works best for you, it is important to replace missing teeth for reasons that go well beyond the cosmetic. Not only do replacement teeth help keep your other teeth from moving, they also support ongoing bone health and the preservation of existing bone mass. This in turn can lead to better oral health as well as a more youthful appearance in the coming years.
For more information on the right tooth replacement option for you, give us a call today.