WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF A MISSING TOOTH/TEETH ?

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You may be aware of how teeth are important to your appearance, but you may not know how missing teeth can harm your dental health. 
Even a tooth which, does not show when you smile must be replaced, because all of your teeth work together to help you in chewing, speech. If a tooth is missing these simple actions may become difficult to do. 


A missing tooth may cause the surrounding teeth to shift or become crooked and can change your bite. This leads to cavities, gum diseases and bite problem(occlusion).
A missing tooth in the lower jaw may lead to the gradual downward movement of the upper tooth opposite to it, which is known as supra eruption. 

You might only be chewing from any one
side of your mouth, causing extra tension to the TMJ, leading to pain disorders or it can affect your bite and place unusual stress on your teeth. It may also cause your face to look older, make difficult in chewing food and in speech too. 

THREE MAIN OPTIONS TO REPLACE A MISSING TOOTH 

Depending upon your specific needs your dentist may recommend :

- Dental implants
- Fixed partial denture (FPD) 
- Removable partial denture (RPD) 

DENTAL IMPLANTS 

It is a replacement tooth in which a metal screw is inserted surgically into the jaw bone (periosteum), which acts like a tooth root on which the crown is tightened and fixed. 

Implants are secure and stable and are most similar to your natural teeth in looks and feel. Implant procedure does not involve adjacent natural teeth. It prevents shrinkage of alveolar bone that occur from missing tooth or teeth. 


Since it's a surgical procedure, it's not meant for everyone. The patient should be in good health condition, should have healthy gums and must have enough bone structure to support an implant. Not always recommended in older patient's. 
These procedures are expensive, and time consuming, will take almost six months to complete.


FIXED PARTIAL DENTURE 

It covers the space where one or more teeth have been lost. A fixed bridge is a permanent restoration that can only be removed by your dentist. 

Fixed partial denture is similar to natural teeth, they are stable and comfortable. 
These are made of metal, ceramics, and a combination of both. 
 
TYPES OF DENTAL CROWNS 

- Stainless Steel crowns
- Metal crowns
- All resin crown
- PFM( porcelain fused metal) 
- All ceramin or All porcelain 
- Zirconium crown 

A fixed bridge is attached to the natural teeth next to the space left by the missing tooth or teeth. 

Artificial tooth, which is the replacement of the missing tooth is called the Pontic. Crown on the either sides of the Pontic is known as a retainer, which is fixed to the prepared teeth (abutment teeth). The Pontic is bonded to the adjacent teeth crown. 
The dentist prepares the tooth by removing some of the tooth structures to make room for the crown to fit over them.

The dentist prepares the adjacent teeth, records impressions, cast is made and send to the lab for fabrication of the bridge. 
The custom made bridge is fixed and cemented. 
It is less expensive and time consuming than the dental implants. 
The whole procedure may need three to four visits to the dental clinic and will complete in a week.

REMOVABLE PARTIAL DENTURE 

It is less expensive and require less working time for the dentist compared to implant procedure and fixed prosthesis.
It can be removed and cleaned by the patient itself.
Removable partial dentures typically have the replacement teeth attached to a gum color plastic base connected by a metal framework.
They are attached to your natural teeth with either metal clasp or a device called precision attachments.


It is often recommended to remove the denture while you sleep. 
It is made of acrylic resins and attached to metal clasps. 
This type of prosthesis can be used to replace one tooth or several teeth and have different designs depending on each case. 

It will take almost three to four visits to the clinic. Impressions are recorded and the cast is made. Bite registration is recorded with wax and then sent to the lab for fabrication. A trial of wax partial denture is used in the second visit, which is placed in the mouth and checked for fit and retention and any adjustments are made if required. In the third visit, the fabricated denture is delivered.

TYPES OF REMOVABLE PARTIAL DENTURE 

- Cast metal partial denture 
- Acrylic partial denture
- Flexible partial denture
- Precision attachment denture 

There may be a chance of gum irritation and decay due to the collection of food around and underneath the denture. It should be cleaned regularly. They do not prevent gum tissue and jaw bone shrinkage. 
It is important to continue keeping your teeth and gums healthy. Replacements can lose support if the jaw bone or surrounding teeth become damaged from dental disease. 

Options like implants, fixed partial denture, removable partial denture can make everyday actions much more pleasant. 
It is important to choose the treatment which is best for your condition.



~Dr.Sibin Boas
Facebook/instagram@aspireeasydentistry




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