By the time we reach our teenage years, most of us would have 32 teeth and that number might gradually start to decrease as we age. The good news is, today’s dental technology has advanced such that you now have quite a few options to choose from to replace your missing teeth such as instant teeth implants.
Cosmetically, it can be embarrassing when others notice the gaps between your teeth. But health-wise, when you leave it alone, you risk losing bone density at that area. Missing a tooth or more can cause discomfort and increase your risk of getting serious, chronic illnesses. When we are missing a tooth, it leaves room for our other teeth to move, thus impacting the bite of that entire side of the mouth. To lead a better quality of life, take a look at these three individual tooth replacement options that can solve your dental problem:
- Dental bridges: Dental bridges are made of a false tooth suspended between two crowns, using the surrounding natural teeth to attach the false tooth in order to fill the lost tooth space.
- Single tooth dental implants: While dental bridges anchors onto the nearby teeth to support the crown, these implants, on the other hand, replaces the tooth root with its titanium structure.
- Mini dental implants: Sharing the same structure as regular implants, mini dental implants are a little smaller in form. Besides being a replacement for smaller teeth such as the lower incisors, some also prefer this option over regular dental implants as it can be more cost-effective.
For those missing multiple teeth or all teeth in an arch, that only means that there will be a lack of proper support in the skin around your mouth, which might lead to sagging skin and premature ageing in the near future. Your chewing capabilities will be affected and that will in turn compromise your digestion due to the difficulty faced with chewing your food. Here are three teeth restoration options for those who are missing teeth in the upper or/and lower jaw:
- Dentures: Being the least invasive, dentures come in partial and full plastic or metal frameworks that are removable to enable cleaning. While it may have some impact on one’s speech, this option is beneficial for someone who experiences physical weakness and loss of function of parts of the body. As such, for someone who is unable to brush his own teeth himself, dentures would be helpful in such cases.
- Implant-Supported Dentures: Implants are first placed in the jaw before full dentures are connected to it. Compared to conventional dentures, these are more comfortable. Additionally, they also better preserve your jaw bone to keep it healthy and intact.
- All-On-4 Dental Implants: While implant-supported dentures may require some implants to securely anchor your new teeth, All-On-4 only need a minimum of four implants placed in the top and the bottom of your mouth. This is done before a full arch acrylic bridge is attached to the four implants. It will be a lot quicker as there is far less surgery involved and you can have fixed teeth on the day of the surgery itself.
If you are missing teeth or you have a parent, spouse or friend who is experiencing oral difficulty, we recommend to not delay getting a tooth replacement any further. Before it becomes difficult to chew even the softest of food, it is crucial to consult an experienced dentist as soon as possible. To regain the aesthetics of your smile and the functionality of your teeth, get more information on which procedure is most suitable for your condition by calling us today!