Losing a tooth can make you feel shy and can be a blow to your self-esteem. If your smile has holes, there are solutions -consider tooth replacement or tooth implant process!
When you lose teeth in your jaw, other problems can arise. One of these problems is drift. When this happens, the teeth adjacent to the hole move in the area. Adults begin to recline and lower. This drift can damage the gum line and make you more prone to gum disease.
In addition to drift, you can suffer from bone loss. It is a natural process called reabsorption. The bone begins to change almost immediately. If you do not replace what is missing, you will lose the jaw’s width and height in that area.
Resorption is worse when you lose multiple teeth in one area without a tooth replacement procedure. This is the number one reason that dentures don’t fit properly.
Types of tooth replacement procedures
For some, the loss of one or two can be corrected with a fixed bridge. To undergo this procedure, the surrounding teeth must be sufficient and healthy enough to help support the bridge.
First, the bridge must be fabricated. The area must be trimmed to make way for the artificial tooth. Once this is complete, the prosthesis will be suspended. A bridge requires reducing adjacent teeth, increasing the risk that they will need root canals, or even experience potential nerve damage. However, once the bridge is built, it will take 10-12 years before it needs to be replaced.
Another option is dentures. Partial dentures can help replace one or more teeth. While these also require the support of those around them, there is little preparation. Of course, if a lot is missing, you can choose to have a full set of lower or upper dentures rather than a partial set.
Finally, there is the implant. This type of tooth replacement is done by implanting a base in the bone. This helps protect the jaw from bone loss, and the gums retract around the remaining teeth. The base has a realistic synthetic appearance. This method may be more desirable than a bridge because the surrounding teeth are not affected by the implant.