Humans are blessed with two sets of teeth: 20 Primary or milk teeth and 32 Permanent teeth. A normal adult will have a full set of 32 teeth, comprising of incisors, canines, premolars and molars. All of these teeth are important. They help you to chew and grind food efficiently, to speak and pronounce clearly and of course to flaunt a beautiful smile. Your teeth also play a crucial role in the structure of your mouth and give an aesthetic face profile. Hence, whenever possible try to avoid losing a tooth in the first place.
The financial cost of saving a tooth with a crown and a root canal is substantially less than the cost of an implant and crown or a bridge required to replace an extracted tooth. Also, by saving one tooth you are helping keep the surrounding ones healthy as well.However sometimes saving a tooth becomes unavoidable and a tooth may be lost due to trauma, caries, periodontitis, genetics, oral cancer or ignorance about maintaining good oral hygiene. It can feel uncomfortable or embarrassing to have a gap in your teeth due to loss of teeth. But besides lacking elegance, missing a tooth can be harmful to your dental health.
Here are 6 reasons why replacing a missing tooth is vital to your dental health:
1. Loss of chewing efficiency:
Each tooth counts. Be it the loss of a front tooth or a molar, it affects the way you grind your food and intern affects your nutrition and health.
2. Drifting of opposing and adjacent teeth:
Your teeth will try to compensate for the loss and move in to fill in the space. However, this can lead to more problems. The adjacent teeth begin to tip into that space, that could result in uneven bite force, a bad bite angle, resulting in cracks or chips. The opposing tooth supra-erupts and may become dislodged over time causing you a great deal of pain and difficulty.Bone resorption:Bone mass is lost, or resorbed, as a result of tooth loss. Now, how does this happen? Teeth have a crucial role in the health of your jawbone. When you chew, the roots of your teeth stimulate your jawbone. This sends a message to your body to send nutrients to your jaw. When you lose your teeth, even just one, there is less stimulation. As a result, fewer nutrients are sent, and your jawbone begins to resorb and grow weak.
3. Aesthetics- Effects on your appearance:
Missing teeth and a reduced jaw bone can make your face look older and wrinkly, and for your cheeks to become hollow and saggy, because they can no longer fully stabilize your lips and cheeks from the inside.
4. TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders:
When there is loss of a tooth/ teeth on one side of the jaw one tends to chew food from the opposite side resulting in biting forces acting on that side of the jaw. This imbalance and uneven distribution of chewing forces causes TMJ stress and pain in the jaw.
5. It may affect your speech and lower your self-confidence:
Speech can also be impaired with loss of teeth, possibly resulting in a lisp as you are forced to articulate differently than you would ordinarily. When you get that tooth replaced, it allows things to flow naturally once more. This means that your tongue will not stumble when you try to speak, and your gums will not be as damaged when trying to eat or drink.It is unfortunate when someone loses a tooth; however, with so many advances in dentistry, we now have several good options to replace it.
Listed below are five of the most common ways to replace a missing tooth:
1. Implants:
An implant is the best way to replace a missing tooth. This solution feels and acts the most like a natural tooth when chewing, brushing or smiling. It involves replacing the actual root of the missing tooth with a titanium prosthesis which heals (integrates) in the jaw bone for several months. We then place an abutment, to which a crown will be cemented. The major advantage is that there is no need to alter any other teeth when placing an implant. However, this option is not possible in patients with resorbed jaw bone or those suffering from osteoporosis as the quality and quantity of bone available determines the success of an implant. Your dentist will tell you to make appropriate x-rays or CBCT for evaluation of bone before proceeding with implants.
2. Fixed bridge
A bridge is an option when there are teeth on either side of the missing tooth. A bridge is a fixed solution that stays cemented in the mouth and does not come out. This method involves cutting down the teeth on either side of the missing tooth to be able to connect them together. We recommend floss threads, which slide under the bridge, to keep it clean. The disadvantages for bridges are cutting down teeth that might be perfectly healthy. A bridge can replace one or two missing teeth easily, and sometimes more if there is enough support.
3. Dentures:
Depending on how many teeth are missing; you may have a full or partial denture. You may also have a temporary partial denture while you’re waiting to have a bridge fitted.
A removable partial denture (RPD) is a denture for a patient with a few missing teeth and who cannot have a bridge or an implant for reasons, such as a lack of required teeth to serve as support for a bridge (i.e. distal abutments) or financial limitations or lack of good bone support. This type of prosthesis is referred to as a removable partial denture because patients can remove and reinsert it when required without professional help.
b) Temporary denture: A temporary denture is a short term solution for a missing tooth.It is called a “flipper” because it flips in and out easily. This is used when the tooth will be restored in the future with a bridge or an implant, but we are waiting for the site to heal. These are much like a removable partial denture, but usually less sturdy, less bulky, and less expensive. We do not alter surrounding teeth when we make a flipper.
c) Complete denture:
Complete dentures are full-coverage oral prosthetic devices that replace a complete arch of missing teeth. This denture sits on top of the gums where the missing teeth were. They need to be removed regularly for cleaning. An overdenture is a prosthesis that fits over retained roots or implants in the jaws. Compared to conventional complete dentures, it provides a greater level of stability and support for the prosthesis.
Depending on your needs, your dentist will suggest you the correct treatment modality. Prosthetic replacement of your missing teeth definitely help you to enjoy a good quality of life.
You can plan an appointment with our Prosthodontist/ tooth replacement specialist to know more!