Why should you replace missing teeth?
Why should you replace missing teeth?
The teeth are one of the few things that can cause trouble in both presence or absence. If you have missing teeth because they were taken out or fell off, it isn’t the end of it. Its absence will cause as much havoc in your mouth as its presence did.
What happens when you have missing teeth?
The main function of teeth is chewing food. It has been found that with every tooth lost there is a 10% decrease in the chewing ability. All the teeth are constantly moving and changing positions. If your missing teeth aren’t replaced for an extended period of time the adjacent teeth tend to tilt into that space. Also, the opposing tooth tends to move outwards. Thus, not only making the replacement of teeth more complicated over time, but the tilted teeth become more prone to decay and gum diseases. With the loss of a tooth, the bone that supports it begins to shrink over time. The jaw bones support the facial structures. With the shrinkage of the jaw bone the face loses support and gets wrinkled. This will make you look older than you really are.
What are my options?
First and foremost, always plan to replace a missing tooth. The longer you wait, the more complicated and expensive the process of replacement will become. There are many options to replace missing teeth. Finding the option that works best for you depends on your dental health and some collaboration between you and the doctor.
Implants
If you have only one to two teeth missing and healthy gums and jaws, dental implants might be your best option. Implants are replacement teeth in the form of a small hollow screw that are placed surgically inside the jawbone. With proper oral hygiene practices, they can last for around 20 years or more without the need for replacement. Multiple implant supported dentures can be an alternative to regular removable dentures if several teeth are missing.
Fixed Bridge
If a single tooth requires replacement, a fixed bridge might be a less expensive option. The downside of the bridge being that the two adjacent teeth cut and prepared so that the artificial teeth can be placed over them and the empty space. If the adjacent teeth do have decay or require a root canal treatment a fixed bridge might be an option of choice. They last about 10-12 years. In order to make a bridge.
Dentures
Most people relate to dentures as a kind of nuisance, as it requires huge amount of care and might not deliver adequately. Dentures have come a long way in recent years and could be the choice of prosthesis for you to replace the missing teeth. The dentures can be complete – when all the teeth are missing or partial- when only some of the teeth require replacement. Dentures themselves have multiple variants and can be made out of many different materials. Whatever option suits you, important thing is to make sure that there are no empty spaces in your mouth. A healthy mouth also makes a perfect smile.
