Having a missing tooth or needing a tooth extracted can affect your life in many ways. Besides the obvious look, it can also harm your health in other ways. Luckily, there are several options to replace your tooth that can look and feel natural.
Affects of missing teeth
Missing teeth can impact people in many ways, including:
- Diet – It can change what you can comfortably eat.
- Speech – it can change the way you speak
- Other teeth – missing teeth can give space for other teeth to shift around in your mouth
- Bone loss – teeth are connected to your jaw bone, and may deteriorate without use
- Facial structure – As your teeth shift and your jaw bones deteriorate, it can change your facial structure making you appear older
- Self-esteem – it can profoundly change the way you feel about your smile
- Professionalism – You appearance can change the way others treat you in a professional environment
- Social life – Missing teeth can impact your first impression with new friends
As you can see, even if you’re okay with the look, a missing tooth or teeth impact your health in a variety of ways.
Options for replacing missing teeth
- Dental implants – the optimal solution for replacement of a lost tooth. Although more expensive, it provides the most realistic, natural replacement for a lost tooth.
- Fixed bridges – a bridge connecting to your remaining teeth fills in the gap left by the missing tooth.
- Partial dentures – like a bridge, partial dentures attach to your existing teeth to fill in a gap. Unlike bridges, partial dentures are removed and need to be cleaned daily. There are different types of partial dentures to suit different needs.
- Dentures – if you have no healthy teeth remaining, removable dentures can be custom made to provide a natural looking smile.
To determine which options are best for you, give us a call or schedule an appointment online. The dentist will let you know which treatment options are available to you and help you make an informed decision.