There are various things to consider when exploring your missing tooth replacement options. Factors like your budget, how many missing teeth you have, and the location of the missing teeth determine which teeth replacement restoration works best for you.
Some of the different oral prosthetics that can be used to replace missing teeth include dentures, bridges, and implants. There are also several hybrid oral prosthetics like implant-supported dentures.
Getting lost teeth replaced usually starts with a dental consultation. During the appointment, the dentist will go over the patient’s medical history, their budget, and what they want out of their replacement teeth.
The patient’s jaw and teeth are examined to determine which tooth replacement options would be ideal for them. For example, a person with three missing teeth in a row might be better off with a dental bridge instead of replacing all three missing teeth with implants.
Some of the oral prosthetics that might be recommended once a patient has been evaluated by a dentist include:
Implants are metal rods or screws that are inserted into the jawbone to serve as bases for dental restorations like crowns. They are the closest thing to real teeth as far as oral prosthetics are concerned. The implant fuses with tissues around it via osseointegration, making it virtually as stable as a real tooth. Implants are usually made out of titanium, one of the strongest metals ever discovered, and are designed to last a lifetime.
An implant can be used to replace a single tooth, and it can be combined with other prosthetics to replace multiple teeth. For example, implant-supported dentures can be used to replace up to five teeth in a row. The implants are inserted at both ends of the space, and the artificial teeth of the bridge cover up the rest.
The main drawbacks of implants include taking up to six months to complete the treatment and the fact it requires oral surgery. Some people are simply not healthy enough for surgical treatments.
Dentures are the most economical missing teeth replacement option, and they can be used to replace missing teeth in as little as two weeks. Getting dentures is also the least invasive process since it does not require any surgical procedures like implants or altering healthy teeth as is the case with crowns.
Getting dentures usually takes two trips to the clinic. The first visit is used to take an impression of the patient's teeth. The impression goes to a lab where technicians make the patient’s custom dentures. Patients come back for a second appointment once the customized dentures are ready.
Dental bridges are in between implants and dentures in terms of cost. They are more stable in the mouth than dentures, but they do not provide the bone-preserving properties of implants. One of the biggest drawbacks of bridges is making alterations to the teeth closest to the space left by missing teeth. The two teeth closest to the gap are used to anchor down the artificial teeth of the bridge.
Ready to get rid of the hole in your smile? Call or visit our Summit clinic to set up an appointment.
Request an appointment here: https://www.summitperioimplants.com or call Summit Periodontics & Dental Implants at (908) 219-6664 for an appointment in our Summit office.
Check out what others are saying about our dental services on Yelp: Tooth Replacement in Summit, NJ.
You may have many questions on your mind if your periodontist tells you that you require a gum graft. Read on to learn more about this procedure. Learning about gum grafting, the process, and the recuperation period is a great step toward easing these concerns.Gum grafting is a periodontist-performed dental treatment. It is the standard…
If you are missing teeth, dental implants are an oral health solution with the look and function of natural teeth. Although it may seem contradictory, sometimes a dentist needs to extract a tooth before an implant is placed. There are numerous reasons why a tooth may need to be removed, but the overall goal is…
A missing tooth can have consequences on oral health and self-confidence. The good news is that periodontists have several tooth replacement options to restore a patient’s smile, no matter where the lost tooth was located. Whether through surgical or nonsurgical tooth replacements, periodontists can effectively fill gaps in your smile, improve bite function and force,…
People who are seeking healthy gums but are dealing with challenges with gingivitis can see an expert periodontist, a dental professional who has studied the structures that support the teeth. These include the gums, the jawbone itself, and the ligaments that help hold the teeth in place.Periodontists are trained dentists who focus their attention on…
Like a full set of dentures, these removable tooth replacements sit on top of the…
Like with bone grafting, periodontists can perform gum grafting to help support teeth that are…
Chronic bad breath and a foul taste in the mouth could be symptoms associated with…
Recovery after All-on-4 depends on the treatments necessary to complete the process.
To perform a bone graft, the dentist will collect bone tissue from somewhere else in…
The most common procedure that a periodontist performs is removing plaque and tartar from their…
