At our office, we have found that the most comfortable and preferred options for preventing missing tooth complications are bridges, partial dentures, and implants.
Bridges
We frequently use bridges to replace missing teeth where two or more adjoining natural teeth still exist. We have found that these are most comfortable when there is a tooth in front of and behind the area where the tooth is missing. The most common kinds of bridges are fixed bridges. They require that the adjoining teeth be healthy and have
good gum and root support.
Bridges help balance a normal bite and prevent unnatural stress on the dental ridges. They also prevent drift and tilt of adjacent teeth and over-eruption of opposing teeth. This decreases the chance of further decay in abnormal areas and helps prevent periodontal disease (bone destruction).
Dentures
A denture is a set of removable, artificial teeth that rest directly on the gums. It may or may not be attached directly to any of the remaining teeth.
Partial dentures work best for people with several teeth missing and no teeth behind the area where a tooth or teeth are missing or where adjoining teeth are too weak to hold a bridge.
Full dentures replace all the teeth on the jaw, and obviously are necessary when all the teeth are lost.
Implants
Implants have become a popular and effective choice in recent years. They are surgically implanted and can be used to help hold bridges in place or stabilize partial or full dentures, just as any of your own natural teeth would.
Those with only two or three remaining teeth must consider, however, that your remaining teeth - even when they seem to you to be too bad to use - can be used to stabilize a denture or hold a bridge. We have time and time again, found these teeth helpful in securing dentures and bridges.
Give us a call for an evaluation today. We will help you decide what is the best method available for care in your case.
