Dentures and Other Solutions for Missing or Damaged Teeth

Having missing teeth doesn’t just make it more difficult to chew. It can also have a serious impact on their appearance, causing facial muscles to sag and making people look much older. Dentures remain the most popular option for replacing missing or damaged teeth, but they’re not the only one. Read on to find out about dentures and three other alternatives for restoring normal speech, bite patterns, and appearance.

Full and Partial Dentures

Dentures have historically gotten a bad rap. Today’s Teeth Dentures are designed to maximize comfort, long-term functionality, and appearance. They provide a better fit and are far less likely to fall out of wearers’ mouths with no warning.

Dentures come in both full and partial varieties. Full dentures are perfect for those who are missing all of their teeth due to injuries, bad genetics, or plain old poor dental hygiene, while partial dentures are designed for consumers who still have some of their natural teeth. Either way, they are an effective, affordable, and attractive option for dental patients of all ages.

Dental Bridges

Dentures aren’t always the best option. Consumers who are only missing one or two teeth may be better off with dental bridges. These prosthetic teeth are held in place by crowns or implants on both sides of the missing tooth. Like dentures, they’re designed to mimic the appearance and functionality of consumers’ natural teeth, so no one will even know they’re there.

While dentures are usually removable, dental bridges are fixed in place. Fixing them to the surrounding teeth requires removing part of the healthy teeth nearby and replacing them with crowns that can support the fixed prosthetic tooth or teeth. Since they need to be fixed in place using crowns, patients missing multiple teeth may need to get implants if they want to wear dental bridges.

Dental Implants

Only patients with healthy gums and jawbones are good candidates for dental implants. If the patient’s jawbone has significantly degraded since his or her teeth were pulled, a bone graft will be required before the implant can be placed. This process can be expensive, painful, and time-consuming.

Patients who still have healthy jaws and gums tend to like implants because they offer a long-term solution. Each implant consists of a titanium fixture surgically implanted into the jawbone and a crown that looks just like a natural tooth. If cared for properly, a well-placed dental implant can last a lifetime.

Overdentures

Overdentures are a good option for patients who are missing most or all of their teeth but don’t want to deal with removable dentures. These types of dental prostheses can be affixed to remaining teeth or dental implants. Since dental implants are quite expensive, consumers worried about their budgets often choose to get just a few implants, then use them to hold overdentures in place. Overdentures also come with the added benefit of stimulating the jawbone to slow down further bone loss.

The Bottom Line

There is no one right solution for replacing missing teeth. All four of the options described above will help to restore normal bite patterns, speech, and appearance and they all have different sets of advantages and disadvantages. The best way to make an informed decision is to schedule a consultation with a dentist who specializes in restorative dentistry.