The Importance of Replacing Lost Teeth in Your Mouth
Adults have 32 permanent teeth, divided into four types: incisors, canines, bicuspids, and molars.
The first four teeth have a sharp, biting surface to cut or tear food off into small, chewable pieces. Canines have a pointy biting surface to grip and tear food. Bicuspids are used to pull and crush food. Molars are the most prominent teeth in the mouth; they are used to chew, crush, and grind food.
But They Don’t Stay There Forever
As they age, however, wear, tear, and bad habits can cause us adults to lose most — or all — of their teeth. By 50, the average American will have lost 12 permanent teeth. This affects the appearance of their smile and can even change their face shape.
Missing teeth can cause your other pearly whites, creating unattractive gaps and altering bite alignment. They can also make chewing correctly tricky, leading to choking and mouth misalignment issues like TMJ disorder. When a tooth isn’t replaced in time with denture implants or other similar tools, this can result in bone loss in the jaw and soften surrounding tissue, which can cause neighboring teeth to become dislodged or infected.
Find Replacement Teeth among These Options
With advances in technology and material science, several options have evolved to replace missing teeth. These include:
Dental bridge: Replacement teeth for missing teeth are built up in a metal framework, making a bridge. The artificial teeth are soldered to either end of the bridge, and the replacement teeth need to be sculpted down to allow them to fit underneath. The size of dental bridges varies, but the bigger they are, the more natural teeth must be filed down to anchor them.
Dental implant: Dental implants involve placing an artificial tooth into the jawbone. Your dentist will carefully examine your jawbone's health and size to ensure enough bone for the implant to attach to.
After the examination, they will place a titanium screw into the jawbone during the procedure. The screw serves as a replacement tooth root to anchor a temporary crown. After the implant and jawbone successfully bond and the screw is covered by adequate new bone growth, your dentist will place a permanent crown on top, serving as the ultimate replacement for the missing tooth.
Dentures: Also known as denture implants, a full or partial set of these can replace teeth when wear and tear have led to so much damage that it doesn’t make sense to save the natural tooth or teeth.
Denture implants are typically made from a durable resin material colored to look like natural teeth. Conventional dentures, also known as full denture implants, comprise an entire set of artificial upper and lower teeth. These are fitted into your mouth following the removal of your natural teeth and after your jaw healing from the tooth extraction.
Since dentures are held in place with suction and oral adhesives, eating and speaking may require a little practice. You will get used to speaking, chewing, and eating with your new false teeth.
Best of all, cleaning them is easy. Simply dunk them into a glass of water filled with the appropriate cleaning solution nightly!
On the other hand, partial denture implants may be used if you only have a few missing teeth. They may consist of a plate with artificial teeth and clips so it fits up against the roof of the mouth.
Conclusion
Despite losing one tooth or many teeth, plenty of options are available to return your perfect smile. Cosmetic dentistry has made stunning advances in materials and techniques, such as denture implants, and the results can be excellent.
Talk to G-Dental32 about denture implants by booking your appointment today! We provide implant-supported dentures that look so natural and fit so securely that people you meet won’t ever know you’re wearing dentures. Set your schedule with us now!
