Missing a Tooth? Here Are Your Replacement Options

Living with a missing tooth can come with some challenges. Along with affecting the appearance of your smile, a missing tooth can lower your self-esteem, make eating and speaking difficult, and put you at risk of developing other oral health problems, such as tooth decay. For these reasons, it's worth considering tooth replacement options to restore the health and beauty of your smile. If you are missing one or more teeth, here's what you should know about your replacement options.

Is Replacing a Missing Tooth Necessary?

If your missing tooth isn't affecting the appearance of your smile, you may not think it's necessary to seek a replacement option. However, leaving a missing tooth untreated for an extended period is never a good idea. A missing tooth can lead to an array of other oral health concerns, including:

• Gum disease

• Damage to surrounding teeth

• Tooth decay

• Bone loss

• Malnutrition

Just because a missing tooth isn't negatively affecting the way you look or feel doesn't mean it shouldn't be treated as quickly as possible. A missing tooth can cause minor oral health problems to progress to significant ones quickly. If you are missing a tooth, it's best to seek professional dental treatment sooner rather than later.

Dental Bridge

Dental bridges are a common dental appliance used to replace one or more missing teeth. They can be made up of a variety of materials, including metal, alloys, and/or porcelain. These materials are fused and fit into the open space where the missing tooth was. While there are several types of dental bridges, fixed bridges are the most common. Fixed bridges work by securing two dental crowns on either side of the missing tooth to support its replacement. Dental bridges can effectively:

• Restore the natural appearance of your smile

• Improve eating, speaking, and oral hygiene habits

• Prevent surrounding teeth from shifting into the empty space

As beneficial as dental bridges can be, they do come with disadvantages as well, including:

• Causing potential harm over time to the abutment teeth that support the bridge

• Leading to tooth decay if not thoroughly cleaned

• Breaking if the abutment teeth are weak

Permanent Dentures

If a person is missing multiple or all of their teeth All-On-Four permanent dentures could be the best replacement option. All-On-Fours, or All On X, are prosthetic teeth that are custom-made to replace multiple missing teeth. They work by strategically placing four dental implants in your mouth to support an entire set of top or bottom teeth that gradually integrate with your jawbone over time. All-On-Four implants come with many oral health benefits, including:

• Improving the appearance of your smile and facial structure.

• Making speech, eating, and digestion easier.

• Preventing bone loss.

• Preventing dental problems, such as tooth decay and periodontal disease.

• Since they're permanent, they're convenient and as easy to care for as your natural teeth.

• Unlike with traditional dentures, you won't have to worry about All-On-Four implants shifting or not fitting appropriately.

Dental Implants

A dental implant is a replacement for a missing tooth's root that supports an artificial tooth or dental crown. In most cases, dental implants are made of titanium and shaped like a screw that is fused into a person's jaw bone. Dental implants are often preferred over bridges of dentures to replace one or more missing teeth because they are

• Natural-looking: No one will know they aren't your natural teeth.

• Permanent: Because they are fused to your bone, you'll never have to worry about them breaking, shifting, or falling out.

• Convenient: Care for them just as you would your natural teeth.

• Durable: If well cared for, implants can last a lifetime without having to be replaced.

If you are suffering from the negative effects of living with one or more missing teeth, the trusted dental team at Blakeney Dental is here for you. We can help you restore the natural appearance, function, and overall health of your smile with our progressive tooth replacement options. To learn more about which tooth replacement option would be best for you, don't wait to schedule your free consultation. Contact us online or give us a call at (704) 386-6795 to take the first step in achieving a healthier, beautiful smile today!