Click to enlarge
Missing teeth can greatly affect a person’s self esteem and quality of life. Missing teeth can result from:
- Injury
- Orthodontic treatment recommending removal of teeth
- Teeth not developing
- Gum disease and poor oral health which causes tooth loss and
- Poor advice that it is cheaper to remove teeth than keep them.
(NB: Teeth should only be removed if they are condemned and you are planning to proceed with dental implants or bridges).
Naturally, the effect of tooth loss varies from person to person. Without the tooth, the bone around the lost tooth gradually recedes (as it is no longer required to support the tooth), often remaining teeth shift, chewing becomes difficult, lips and cheeks lose support and often appear sunken with time.
Implant-retained crowns are restorations whereby a titanium screw is placed into the jaw bone to replace a missing tooth root, and then a crown is placed on top. In the case of multiple missing teeth, more than one implant can be placed, and multiple crowns or a bridge put on top.
Implants provide a solution for one or many missing teeth and once again, you will be able to smile widely and enjoy whatever food you desire. A dental implant with a crown is the only way to replace a missing tooth that will then look, feel and function like your natural tooth.
Bridges close a gap caused by one or more missing teeth. They consist of an artificial tooth being anchored to the adjacent natural teeth on each side of the gap.
Bridges are either made entirely from porcelain, or from porcelain bonded to a metal substructure.