Dealing with any issue that affects your oral health is a highly personal process. That’s because your smile is unique, and so are the specific ways in which oral health concerns can affect it. When it comes to dealing with tooth loss, the same holds true. People can lose teeth to different degrees, and the teeth they lose can be in different areas along their dental ridge. Therefore, choosing the best way to deal with your tooth loss means carefully assessing the extent of your condition, as well as the different advantages that certain types of restorations can offer.
With a custom-made dental bridge
The gap that losing a tooth creates in your smile makes losing even one a significant concern for your oral health. The traditional way to replace a lost tooth, or multiple adjacent teeth, is to close this gap with the help of a custom-designed dental bridge. As its name suggests, a dental bridge spans the length of the gap in your smile by filling it with an appropriate number of custom-designed replacement teeth, known as pontics. These are supported by equally lifelike dental crowns that are bonded to the teeth nearby, keeping your bridge steady as you bite, chew, smile, and speak.
With a full or partial denture
When you’ve lost multiple teeth that aren’t adjacent to each other, you’ll have multiple gaps that a single dental bridge won’t be able to address. Rather than receiving multiple dental bridges, you may benefit from a custom-designed partial denture. Similar to a full denture, which is designed to replace all of the teeth on your upper or lower dental ridge, a partial denture is supported by a comfortable base and small, hidden clasps. The partial can replace the teeth you’ve lost, wherever they are along your dental ridge, while fitting around the healthy, natural teeth that still remain on the ridge.
With one or more dental implants
Whether a dental bridge or denture is most appropriate for your smile restoration depends largely on how many teeth you’ve lost. However, whether your condition is minor or severe, one of the best ways to deal with tooth loss is often to support the restoration on one or more dental implant posts. Unlike traditional tooth replacement options, implants provide biocompatible posts that mimic healthy teeth roots to support your replacement teeth with greater comfort, stability, and realism.
Find the best way to deal with your tooth loss
Dealing with tooth loss may not be the same for everyone, and choosing your best option can depend on several unique factors. To learn more, schedule an appointment with us by calling Dreem Dentistry in Leawood, KS, today at 913-681-5500.
