“I am missing a tooth, and want to replace it. What are my options?”
This is one of the most common questions we receive at our office. When a tooth is missing, or is broken/decayed past the point of repair, many people face the anxiety of a missing tooth, both from an appearance and functional perspective.
The best, most predictable, and long-term solution for replacing teeth is a dental implant. Implants (although first seen used in a human over 1,200 years ago) have become widely used since the 1980s, and are the first choice when replacing a missing tooth or missing teeth. A dental implant is laser-milled out of medical-grade titanium, which is the same material used for joint replacements. After placing the implant where the missing tooth was, the body will integrate the implant. The implant is then restored with a crown, giving you a new tooth that will look, function, and feel like it was never missing. Dental implants have a success rate of 95%, and are very predictable when done properly.
If a dental implant isn’t the best option, because of medical or other factors, another option for replacing missing teeth is a dental bridge. A bridge is made by reducing the teeth adjacent to the missing tooth, and then making a single unit that has teeth replacing the missing tooth. Bridges have an average life-span of 5-7 years, but can last much longer when done properly.
The original way of replacing a missing tooth still works today. Dentures, or partial dentures, have been used for over two-thousand years! Many famous people have worn dentures over the years, including George Washington and Winston Churchill. Dentures, for many years, were the only option for replacing missing teeth. Fortunately, dentures have come a long way since the original ‘false teeth’ were used.
Dentures are a great option if you are missing several teeth. There are two ways to approach dentures. One is the place the dentures directly on top of the gums, with just your gums supporting them. This type of a denture is a great alternative to having no teeth, but will be significantly less functional than your natural teeth.
If you are considering dentures, you should also consider dental implants. When dentures are supported by dental implants, they provide 80-90% of the function of natural teeth. They fit, function, and look significantly better.
Call Canyon Dental, your dentist in Orem, Utah, to schedule your consultation today at (801) 224-6051!
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