11 Things Everyone Should Know about Replacing Missing Teeth
While there are many ways in today’s dentistry that help you replace missing teeth, in our professional opinion, nothing quite compares to dental implants. And why would it?
Dental implants are an excellent way to replace missing teeth and can be applied one day and provide patients with a fixed, permanent solution to their tooth loss.
So, if you’re thinking about closing the gaps in your mouth once and for all, here’s what you should expect and NEED to know when it comes to replacing missing teeth.
1. There are more options out there than you would believe
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Some people might think of dentures straight away to replace missing teeth and believe that’s their only option.
If you’re more clued up, you might know or might have heard about dental implants, but again, dental implants come in various forms and can work with you and your budget.
Whatever you divide you decide to replace your missing teeth, we would highly recommend that it involves implants in some way so that you can preserve your jawbone and protect other teeth from having the same fate as your lost ones.
2. You could lose other teeth
If you ignore gaps in your mouth for a considerable amount of time, you will begin to experience jawbone loss around the missing tooth site.
When this process occurs, teeth begin to shift and rotate out of their positions – and more force is attributed to them, which can cause cracks and breakages.
Possibly, the worst consequence of ignoring missing teeth is losing more teeth, which in turn, will make you lose more jawbone and more of your underlying facial support structure.
Our dentists do not recommend that you go longer than six months without replacing a lost tooth.
3. You need to look for a treatment that’s a long-term promise
If I told you today that I could close the gaps in your mouth for ten years, you probably wouldn’t bat an eyelid.
However, we know that a decade can go by pretty quickly, and here you are again, facing another costly tooth restoration.
We would advise looking out for the most extended, most supportive option for your lifestyle as this will work out to be much better value for money later down the line.
4. Don’t spend money on unnatural looking teeth
While other tooth-replacement methods in today’s dentistry look very life-like, the older, more traditional methods can give the appearance of “false teeth.”
Opt for a system that can give you the most natural-looking results without compromising the function.
5. Not every procedure has a high success rate
Complications happen, so to avoid costly repairs, we advise researching the tooth replacement method you’re confident with and making yourself aware of any difficulties you might need to look out for.
Doing things this way will also give a good idea of what you need to do to keep complications at bay.
Missing teeth treatments and their success rates:
- Dental implants: 90-95%
- Dental bridges: 94.3%
- Dentures: 36.3%
6. Bear in mind that discomfort levels
As you’ll be relying on your tooth replacement method of choice for life, you’ll need to read some patient reviews and understand how these devices feel.
Remember, they will be in your mouth all day, every day.
While dentures might seem the best, affordable option, it is a common fact that they slip, cause sores and only rely on suction for security.
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