How Can You Replace Missing Teeth?

Tooth loss impacts more than your appearance. When you’re missing one or more teeth, your ability to bite or chew may be affected, too. Tooth loss can even affect your speech and your general oral health. There are many good reasons to replace missing teeth, and several replacement options from which to choose.

Options for Tooth Replacement

Bridges

A bridge is a dental device that replaces a row of one to three missing teeth. The restorations are flanked on either side by crowns, which anchor the device by fitting over the teeth adjacent to the gap. Most bridges are made from porcelain fused to a ceramic or metal base. The bridge is a non-surgical restoration option but once placed is fixed permanently in the mouth. This means you clean them while brushing your teeth, so bridges are easy to care for.

Dentures

A denture consists of one or more acrylic resin tooth restorations that is fused to a metal and acrylic base that fits over your gums. They can replace any number of missing teeth.

Like the bridge, dentures are a non-surgical option for tooth replacement. However, the dentures are removable and must be cleaned separately using a special denture cleaner. Some people experience problems with dentures, mainly because they’re not fixed permanently in the mouth and may sometimes move around.

Dental implants

As with dentures, you can replace as many missing teeth as you need to with dental implants. However, dentures and dental implants are different in most other ways. For instance, dental implants are a surgical option for tooth replacement, as the implants are metal posts that are fitted into the jawbone. Once healed, the tooth restorations are permanently fixed to the implants.

Dental implants are the most comprehensive replacement option, but for some people the surgical requirement makes them less desirable.

Benefits of Replacing Missing Teeth

Replacing missing teeth has aesthetic benefits, of course—but there are several other reasons why it’s a good idea to do it if you can.

• If you’re missing teeth, your ability to bite or chew properly may be impaired. Depending on the teeth you’re missing, this could limit your diet.
• Tooth loss can affect your speech, as many common sounds, including F, S, and TH, can’t be made properly if certain teeth are missing.
• Over time, tooth loss contributes to poor oral health, because adjacent teeth are destabilized and can shift into the gap. The end result is an increased risk of tooth decay, gum disease, and more tooth loss.
• The chewing action of teeth helps keep the jawbone strong and stable. When teeth are missing the bone beneath the gap can get weaker over time. Dental implants are the one tooth replacement option that can prevent this happening. This is because they closely mimic the form and function of natural teeth.

Replace Missing Teeth ASAP

If you’re missing one or more teeth it’s important to have them restored promptly. This will help ensure that you’re not at risk of further oral health problems, and may improve the appearance of your smile too.

Treating Gum Disease with Scaling and Root Planing

Gum disease affects nearly half of the American population, but not everyone knows they have it. It occurs when plaque and tartar build up near the gum line, damaging the tissues needed to keep your teeth healthy. When gum disease affects an individual’s teeth, scaling and root planing is the best method for addressing this issue and restoring health.

Periodontal Health and Your Teeth

Your gums are what hold your teeth in place. When tartar builds up below the gum line, the connecting tissues and nerves detach from the tooth, opening a space where bacteria and pathogens may enter through the root canals. In addition to decay, the development of periodontal pockets, bleeding, and swelling, periodontal disease can lead to health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.

If left untreated, gingivitis can advance into periodontitis, which eventually leads to tooth loss. Periodontal disease is entirely manageable when treated by your dentist early.

When gum disease is in its earliest stage, gingivitis, it can be easily addressed with a more rigorous cleaning. Patients with periodontitis can undergo a procedure called deep cleaning, also known as scaling and root planing, instead. This treatment involves removing plaque and tartar from below the gumline using scaling tools, then smoothing the surface of teeth to close periodontal pockets may cause recurring issues of tartar and bacteria development. Patients also receive an antibacterial wash to rinse the area of harmful pathogens while promoting the body’s natural healing. Antibiotics may be administered by your dentists to improve your body’s defense against bacteria. 

What to Do after Scaling and Root Planing

If you have recently received a scaling and root planing treatment, the space between your gums and the tooth are open. Patients are advised to rinse often for the next 24 hours to wash away bacteria and maintain good general hygiene. Additionally, patients should avoid smoking or the use of tobacco products to reduce the risk of infection.

Find Out More

Learn more by visiting Dr. Thomsen and going over any concerns you may have involving your dental health. Call Thomsen Dental Group in Omaha and schedule a dental appointment to determine the right treatment for you.

Which Restoration Works Best, Implant-Supported or Traditional Dentures?

As we age, we increase our likelihood of losing one or more teeth. By the age of retirement, it’s not unlikely that many individuals have lost several teeth, if not an entire arch. If you’re reading this post, you are probably looking into the best possible replacement and would like to learn more about dentures and dental implants. If so, Thomsen Dental Group might be the right place for you.

The Merits of Traditional Dentures

There are two typically types of dentures, and both options have their merits.

Traditional dentures supply patients with an easy and affordable way to replace missing teeth. Dentures have been around for centuries, meaning its technology has been improved upon over and over again throughout the years. A good set of dentures can appear just like natural teeth, so much so that onlookers would have trouble considering otherwise.

Dentures are also minimally invasive. Receiving this restoration requires no surgery. Patients with certain anxieties may prefer to stick with traditional dentures that only rest over gums.

Dental Implants, and Why They Reign Supreme

However, those willing to receive implant-supported dentures gain a wide range of benefits.

When teeth go missing, the jawbone loses its support from teeth roots and goes through a process of resorption. In short, the strength and size of the jawbone deteriorate. Dental implants directly address this issue. Moreover, the material used to create the dental implant post, titanium, blends with the bone through a process called osseointegration, which creates a unity between the restoration and the jaw. This process bolsters the strength of the jaw in addition to supplying support that prevents accelerated jawbone deterioration.

It’s important to note that dental implants also increase the stability and strength of the bite. Dental implants allow supported dentures to anchor themselves onto implants posts, which in turn are anchored to the bone. This provides improved comfort and greater stability when eating and speaking. Additionally, this allows patients with dental implants to enjoy all types of food with minimal diet restrictions.

Which Option Works Best?

In short, implant-supported dentures supply the most comprehensive replacement for missing teeth. Dental implants replace the entire tooth from root to crown, meaning these restorations address many dental issues related to missing teeth that traditional dentures alone cannot.

Learn More!

Find out more about the difference between dentures and dental implants by calling or visiting Thomsen Dental Group in Omaha, NE and scheduling a conference with Drs. Brett or Allen today!