Unlike sharks, humans do not have a near-infinite supply of teeth constantly growing in. Nor do we have constantly-growing incisors like rodents. Instead, we are issued a finite supply of teeth, and when they're gone, that's it. Once one tooth is gone, others can drift, crowd, and come out of alignment. The jawbone can decay, making it fragile and susceptible to breakage. It can look very unattractive, and the functions of the mouth, including chewing and speaking, can be affected.
Fortunately, cosmetic dentists have a number of solutions that are both aesthetic and functional to remedy the loss of teeth.
The Old War Horse:
With the exception of cosmetic bridges wired into the mouths of corpses following death, dentures were the first treatment for lost teeth. Dentures are prostheses that fit in the mouth, with one or more ponitcs (false teeth) that fill the spaces left by lost teeth. Dentures can be full or partial, and either top or bottom. Dentures can be a reasonable cosmetic and functional appliance, if well-made, but they can also be a poor solution for the problem of missing teeth, as they sometimes fit uncomfortably and are not fastened to the jaw, so they can slide out of place.
Fully-Functional Appliance:
Modern dental bridges are a fully-functional, highly cosmetic solution to the problem of missing teeth. In a dental bridge, the pontic (or pontics, though bridges are rarely recommended for very many teeth) are fastened to a neighboring tooth or neighboring teeth. This can be done either by modifying the supporting teeth with a dental crown, or it can be done using dental bonding that bond the pontic directly to the other teeth.
Bridges are near-perfect prostheses from both a functional and a cosmetic standpoint. Their only problem comes if bacteria begins to collect under the pontic as a result of poor oral hygiene. Their dependence on other teeth can also be a drawback, because they either require neighboring teeth to be modified with crowns, or if directly bonded they can fail if a neighboring tooth fails.
High-Tech Solution:
A dental implant goes even further toward a high-functioning and highly attractive prosthetic. In fact, a dental implant functions like the root of the tooth, and the crown on top is a fully-functioning tooth for all intents and purposes. Once a dental implant has been integrated into the jawbone, it requires no special treatment, and in most cases it will function as well or better than your natural teeth.
If you require many or all your teeth to be replaced in either arch, you can consider a system like Nobel's All-on-4 system, in which an entire arch of teeth is anchored using four implants into the jaw.
Although there are many ways to avoid the negative effects of missing teeth, the crown jewel is the dental implant.
Source: Dental Implants: When a Tooth Goes Bad
Previous Posts:
Dental Implants & Dental Dentures
Enamel Stripping & Teeth Discoloration
Dental Web Markeing & Dental Web Design For Dentists
Tooth Ache & Anti-Snoring Treatment
Root Canal & Endodontics Treatment
Fortunately, cosmetic dentists have a number of solutions that are both aesthetic and functional to remedy the loss of teeth.
The Old War Horse:
With the exception of cosmetic bridges wired into the mouths of corpses following death, dentures were the first treatment for lost teeth. Dentures are prostheses that fit in the mouth, with one or more ponitcs (false teeth) that fill the spaces left by lost teeth. Dentures can be full or partial, and either top or bottom. Dentures can be a reasonable cosmetic and functional appliance, if well-made, but they can also be a poor solution for the problem of missing teeth, as they sometimes fit uncomfortably and are not fastened to the jaw, so they can slide out of place.
Fully-Functional Appliance:
Modern dental bridges are a fully-functional, highly cosmetic solution to the problem of missing teeth. In a dental bridge, the pontic (or pontics, though bridges are rarely recommended for very many teeth) are fastened to a neighboring tooth or neighboring teeth. This can be done either by modifying the supporting teeth with a dental crown, or it can be done using dental bonding that bond the pontic directly to the other teeth.
Bridges are near-perfect prostheses from both a functional and a cosmetic standpoint. Their only problem comes if bacteria begins to collect under the pontic as a result of poor oral hygiene. Their dependence on other teeth can also be a drawback, because they either require neighboring teeth to be modified with crowns, or if directly bonded they can fail if a neighboring tooth fails.
High-Tech Solution:
A dental implant goes even further toward a high-functioning and highly attractive prosthetic. In fact, a dental implant functions like the root of the tooth, and the crown on top is a fully-functioning tooth for all intents and purposes. Once a dental implant has been integrated into the jawbone, it requires no special treatment, and in most cases it will function as well or better than your natural teeth.
If you require many or all your teeth to be replaced in either arch, you can consider a system like Nobel's All-on-4 system, in which an entire arch of teeth is anchored using four implants into the jaw.
Although there are many ways to avoid the negative effects of missing teeth, the crown jewel is the dental implant.
Source: Dental Implants: When a Tooth Goes Bad
Previous Posts:
Dental Implants & Dental Dentures
Enamel Stripping & Teeth Discoloration
Dental Web Markeing & Dental Web Design For Dentists
Tooth Ache & Anti-Snoring Treatment
Root Canal & Endodontics Treatment
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