When a tooth is lost, nothing is ever the same. The entire balance of a healthy mouth is lost: the bite goes off, opposing teeth overgrow in unpredictable directions, facial appearance ages.
Restorative dentistry is all about bringing mouths back into use. How? Let us count the ways.
Bridges are partnered with crowns to resolve gaps left by missing teeth. The idea is to replace teeth with false, or “pontic” teeth, anchored to crowns at either end, and fixed in place. Quality bridgework looks and feels very natural—one of dentistry’s mainstays—and a great restoration choice.
Partial Dentures too, are dependent on your remaining teeth for support, but are attached by clasps or “precision attachments.” Complicated partials can be engineering marvels, filling in for missing teeth on both sides of the dental arch. The success of partials depends, in part, on the strength of attachment teeth.
Full Dentures are not the end of the line, dentally speaking. A good, well-fitting denture can come close to a full complement of teeth, and contribute to a youthful aspect, as well.
Implants are the newest remedy for missing teeth—to replace a single tooth, or to support an overdenture. People who have implants all agree: Why didn’t I do this sooner?
Replace missing teeth? Do it. Dentistry has a way.
