Replacing Missing Teeth

Missing teeth are both an esthetic and functional defect. A missing tooth in an area that shows when you smile is an obvious problem. A missing back tooth, while it may seem less noticeable, may be seen by others when you are talking or smiling. It may also cause tipping and other movements of the rest of your teeth, which can weaken these teeth, lead to cavities and gum disease, and cause shifting or collapsing that adversely affects your smile. Missing teeth can be replaced permanently and esthetically with either bridges or implants.

Using modern esthetic dental materials, we can make replacement teeth, often called bridges, that are natural-looking and permanently attached to adjacent teeth. Our newest materials require much less, or even none, of the metal reinforcement than used to be necessary for strength. This allows us to make bridges that look and function as if they are your own natural teeth, without the unnatural appearance of shadows and dark lines that used to be caused by metal show-through.

When it is necessary or desirable to replace teeth without the support of the surrounding teeth, we now can use synthetic roots called implants as supports for replacement teeth. Implants can be used to replace one tooth or a whole mouth full of teeth. Unlike dentures, implant-supported teeth work like real teeth, stay in place all the time, preserve the bone and muscle-tone of the area, and look like real and attractive teeth. Partial and complete removeable dentures can move during eating and talking, may require metal wires or clasps that show, require extra material to cover the roof of your mouth or lay under your tongue and actually cause the bone in the area of the missing teeth to dissolve. Removeable teeth are far from state-of-the-art.

 

 

Teeth Replacement Before and After