Loose / Missing Tooth
At times adult tooth may feel loose or you may have lost one or more of your tooth to decay, gum disease, trauma etc. Whatever the reason be, it is now possible to replace missing teeth in a variety of ways. Though you might feel there is no need to replace missing tooth, it could cause serious oral problems besides giving you an unsightly appearance.
Why replace missing teeth?
Missing tooth may give rise to the following problems:
- Loss of chewing ability
- Drifting, wear and tear, collapse of adjacent teeth
- Negatively affect the cosmetics of your face
- Malocclusion may cause bite problems
- TMJ(temperomandibular jaw) disorders
- Jaw bone loss
- Facial deformity
How to replace missing/loose teeth
The traditional method used to replace loose or missing tooth has been a fixed bridge or removable dentures. Alternatively you could also go for a dental implant which is becoming increasingly popular due to its durability, efficiency, ease and cost-effectiveness.
Dental Implants
These are man-made replacements for missing teeth. It is an artificial tooth root that goes into the jaw and holds a replacement tooth or bridge. They are made of titanium and essentially consists of two parts- a screw and a crown. The screw part is implanted into the jaw bone at the location of the missing tooth. Once this screw adheres to the jaw bone the crown is placed. Usually this takes aro und three months time. This is a highly successful process and is very durable. The only disadvantage of the process is that you should have enough bone for the implant and takes time for biologic healing to take place before the crown can be attached.
Fixed Bridges
A fixed bridge is yet another option that is quite popular and predictable. The adjacent teeth are prepared by reducing their size and a prosthetic tooth replacement is suspended between adjacent teeth across the area where the teeth are missing. The advantage of having a bridge is that it is faster and requires no surgical procedures. Limitations of this treatment include the irreversible grinding down or preparation of the adjacent teeth which increases their risk of erve trauma etc.
Dentures
Dentures could be of various types and can be used to replace a missing tooth, several teeth or all of the teeth in your upper or lower jaw.
Hence it is important to understand that before you go in for any procedure it is important to ask. Talk to one of our dentists who can answer all your questions and suggest a suitable replacement for your missing teeth.