How do you fix missing teeth?

A missing tooth can affect your feelings about yourself, but it can also hurt your oral health? Because your teeth work together to help you chew and speak, a missing tooth can put extra stress on the teeth around it. So, no matter why you lost a tooth, getting a replaced tooth as soon as possible is good for oral health.

Fortunately, you have numerous options for replacing lost teeth. Your unique circumstances will determine the best option for replacing lost teeth, although each method has advantages and disadvantages. This is a choice you should make with the help of your dentist in Arlington VA, but here's a rundown of your alternatives for replacing lost teeth:

Dental implant

Both partial and complete removable dentures exist. They consist of a gum-colored plastic base, replacement teeth, and a metal framework that holds the denture in place.

You need a full denture if you don't have any teeth or have had them all taken out. Full dentures are custom-made to fit the gums and, if properly fitted, are held in place by a suction seal.

Dentures

Both partial and complete dentures are removable alternatives to natural teeth. Partial dentures are utilized when some of the patient's natural teeth remain. They consist of a gum-colored plastic base, replacement teeth, and a metal framework that holds the denture in place.

You need a full denture if all your teeth are missing or have been extracted. When all teeth have been removed, full dentures are custom-made to fit the gums and, if properly fitted, are held in place by a suction seal.

Dentures are the less expensive option to fix missing teeth, but many people find them uncomfortable because they are not securely attached and can shift while speaking or eating. In addition, as they are more likely to be misplaced or damaged, they may need to be replaced more frequently.

Fixed bridges

When one or more teeth are missing between two teeth, a fixed bridge can permanently fill the space. Reducing the size of the teeth on either side of the gap, crowning them, and then attaching a pontic (missing denture) to them is one way to replace a missing tooth.

If healthy teeth are on both sides of the gap, a fixed bridge can replace a missing tooth. When several teeth are missing, implants can support a bridge.

Bridges are less expensive than implants, but they require more maintenance because the underside of the pontic must be cleaned. Because they appear, feel, and function like natural teeth, they are popular. However, they also affect the generally healthy teeth adjacent to the bridge.