Missing A Tooth (Or Teeth)? What Are Your Options?

Tooth loss can happen to anyone. Our Chelmsford dentists are here to help

Poor oral health is one of the main causes of tooth loss. Years of neglect can eventually mean that a decayed or damaged tooth is no longer viable and there is little choice other than to extract it.

Good preventative care will help to prevent this, but unfortunately we can’t turn the clocks back. Even where we now look after our teeth well, our choices may not have been so good in the past and our oral health may have suffered as a result.

Even if you have always taken good care of your teeth, you can still lose them due to accidents etc. A simple fall or collision, perhaps on ice for example, can do this, as can partaking in physical sports such as football and rugby. While it is important to do what we can to prevent tooth loss by any means, it is also good to know that there are options available to patients of Blue Sky Dental, should the worst happen.

Leaving a gap

Before we look at the treatments we have available at our Chelmsford dental clinic to replace a missing tooth, or teeth, we offer a little advice about leaving the gap instead. In our opinion, this is a poor choice for a number of reasons. Firstly, the obvious one; it can spoil your smile. It is no coincidence that most people that lose a visible tooth at the front are far more likely to have it replaced than anyone who loses a rear tooth. Although this makes sense, the reality is that even a rear tooth should be replaced. If you don’t do this, other teeth around it will start to move and this can result in crooked teeth.

Bone loss also occurs when a tooth is lost and this can cause changes to the shape of your face.

Treatment options

What then are your options for replacing any teeth that you lose? We will now take a look at the procedures available at our dental clinic that can achieve this for you.

Dentures

Dentures are probably the best known replacement for missing teeth. Over the years, they have gone from being unsightly and cumbersome objects to ones that are more realistic looking and comfortable than before. Despite this though, some wearers still find them to be unsatisfactory. Although they may look more realistic, the fact is that they can still move around in the mouth a little, especially as the face changes shape slightly due to the aforementioned bone loss.

Movement of the dentures can cause soreness of the gums and make wearing them uncomfortable for some. It can also limit the type of foods that you choose to eat and some denture wearers select what to eat based on their ability to chew it, rather than eat what they really want to. Speech can also be affected by loose dentures and their movement at inopportune moments can cause embarrassments in certain situations.

As with bridges, dentures can only replace the crown part of the tooth and not the root. Not replacing this is the main reason for their instability and for bone loss.

Cleaning dentures can be time consuming and fiddly, with external cleaning and overnight soaking being essential to keep them in good condition.

Bridges

A bridge is another option that replaces the crown part of the tooth but not the root. These can offer more stability than dentures but can only be used where there is a tooth present either side for the crowns to be attached to. As this often means that these otherwise healthy teeth have to be shaped and prepared so that the crown can be fitted, it may not be the first choice for everyone. Cleaning can be a little fiddly too as it is important to clean beneath the replacement tooth in order to prevent gum disease from occurring in that area.

Dental implants

Finally, we  come to the most recent development in tooth replacement. It has been around since the 1960s but has advanced and become even more reliable and more popular than ever before. There are good reasons for this. Dental implants don’t only replace the crown part of the tooth as others do, but also the tooth root. By placing an implant into the jaw bone and allowing it to fuse you are replicating the role that a natural tooth root plays. Not only will this help to prevent bone loss in that area, but the fusion of implant and bone means that it is incredibly secure and strong. You will be able to eat what you like without fear of not being able to chew properly or that the replacement tooth might move around in the mouth.

Implants are also easy to keep clean and simply need to be cared for as you should your own natural teeth. Providing that you look after them well, implants can last you for twenty years, and quite possibly many more.

If you have lost a tooth, you should really consider having it replaced, not only for aesthetic reasons, but for your general oral health too. If you would like to discuss your options with us, please arrange a consultation with an implant dentist by calling Blue Sky Dental on 01245 211070. We look forward to seeing you!