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Teeth are a key part of the structure of your face as you see it so when you are missing teeth, depending on where it is, it is important to look into replacing it. Without replacing those teeth it can cause sagging in the cheeks and lips, it can affect the way you chew and speak, and it can cause surrounding teeth to shift out of place. So now you’re probably wondering what your options are to replace them. There are several directions you can go in; there’s fixed or removable dentures and those can be supported by existing teeth or supported by implants.
To start, we’ll do an overview of the tooth supported dentures. For the removable option, there will be a gum colored base with the false teeth attached and on each side will be acrylic “wings” that will attach to the existing teeth around that. Imagine the end of the vacuum cord where the plug attaches to the rest of the cord when you wind it up, that’s what it kind of looks like. For the fixed denture option, your dentist will cement the false teeth to your natural teeth by reshaping that natural tooth to be fitted with the false teeth.
For the implant supported dentures, you’re going to need to work with not only your primary dentist but also an oral surgeon. This option requires good bones in the jaw as the foundation for the implant. How it works is that the oral surgeon will place the implant and we will need the bone to accept it and grow around the implant before we can move forward with capping it the false teeth. For that reason, you’ll have to be a good candidate for that route first. Once the implant is placed, that serves as a frame for the denture to snap into.
Your oral care will need a little extra time once you replace your missing teeth. Having these dentures will require extra cleaning and attention. There’s room underneath those dentures for food to get trapped, especially with the fixed permanent dentures. Luckily there are many tools to help you maintain your oral health like water piks, floss threaders, and tiny brushes that allow you to get into small spaces.
If you’re looking for replacement options, talk to your dentist. They’ll be able to help guide you to the best option for you and your lifestyle.
Information from this post was taken from the American Dental Association