Tooth replacement has come a long way from the days when people used animal teeth or ivory to fill gaps in their smiles. While those methods are outdated, replacing lost teeth remains just as important today. According to the CDC, about 1 in 6 adults aged 65 or older have experienced severe tooth loss, but losing teeth can happen at any age. Left untreated, missing teeth can lead to serious problems, including difficulties with eating, speaking, and overall oral health.
The Problems With Missing Teeth
Missing teeth can lower your self-esteem, making you hesitant to smile or laugh. Beyond affecting your confidence, tooth loss can lead to various functional problems.
Acting fast is always the best option when it comes to tooth replacement. The longer you wait to replace missing teeth, the more likely these problems will arise:
Difficulty chewing: When you’re missing teeth, chewing food can become a big issue. Gaps and reduced biting force can make tougher foods nearly impossible or painful to eat. When most or all of your teeth are missing, these challenges can worsen, leading you to alter your diet.- Dietary problems: Relying on the condition of your teeth for your diet can lead to serious problems. Poor nutrition and rapid weight loss are possible dangers that can harm your overall health.
- Bone resorption: Each tooth has a root anchored in your jawbone, providing essential stimulation when you bite and chew. This stimulation helps maintain the density and shape of your jawbone. When you lose a tooth, the lack of stimulation can cause the jawbone to deteriorate.
- Further dental issues: When you’re missing one or more teeth, the other teeth in your mouth will shift toward the gap, altering your bite. These gaps in your smile are also more difficult to clean, which can lead to infection and decay.
Tooth Replacement Options
At Bivona Family Dentistry, we are committed to providing the right care for you. When you schedule a consultation with us, we will determine the best treatment option for your specific needs.
Dentures for Tooth Replacement
Traditional dentures are a classic solution for tooth replacement. We can use partial dentures to replace one or a few teeth or full dentures to replace an entire row. Both can be used to replace teeth in the upper or lower arch.
These prosthetics represent a traditional approach to tooth replacement and are often the least expensive. However, they come with some drawbacks.
Your gums and jaw support full dentures, helping them to stay in place. For an upper denture, the pinkish base rests against your palate. Unfortunately, blocking the roof of your mouth makes it harder to taste the foods and drinks you love.
Traditional dentures can also shift significantly because they don’t prevent bone resorption. As the shape of your jaw changes, our dentists will have to adjust, reline, or rebase your dentures. That’s because dentures that once fit perfectly will begin to loosen as your jawbone recedes. Loose-fitting dentures can cause discomfort or pain and even embarrassing mishaps, like your dentures falling out. On top of this, they can easily get lost or beak due to their frequent removal.
Dental Implants for Tooth Replacement
Dental implants solve the instability problem of traditional dentures, but we can also use them to anchor individual crowns and bridges. We insert these titanium posts through your gums into your jawbone, making them a permanent solution to tooth loss.
These implants solve the problem of bone resorption by acting as artificial tooth roots to stimulate the bone. Additionally, the artificial teeth use high-quality materials to look and feel more natural. As a result, dental implant solutions provide a much more secure and aesthetically pleasing result.
However, the problem with these traditional implants is that the procedure is invasive. Because the implant is about 5 mm wide, we must use a surgical approach to place it in the jaw. After making an incision through the gums, we’ll drill a hole into the jawbone that can accommodate the implant. After a few months or longer, the tissues will have healed enough to allow us to place the artificial teeth on top.
While traditional dental implants are an effective and reliable tooth replacement solution, they aren’t for everyone. A good candidate must have an ample jawbone that meets specific volume and density requirements. However, many patients have experienced bone loss in their jaw, making them ineligible or needing a bone graft, which is an extra surgery.
Mini Dental Implants for Tooth Replacement
Mini implants have drastically changed implant dentistry. These titanium posts measure less than 3 millimeters in diameter—about half the size of traditional implants. Because mini implants need less bone, they are an ideal option for those who have experienced bone loss.
The smaller diameter of mini dental implants allows us to use a much less invasive technique, eliminating the need for incisions and stitches. Instead of cutting the gum and drilling large holes in the bone, we simply create a small pilot hole and screw the slim implant into the jaw. This gentler procedure reduces the impact on your tissues, lowering the risk of infection. It also allows you to heal much faster!
Another important benefit of mini dental implants is that they are more affordable than conventional implants. Their reduced cost is due to the simpler placement process and the use of smaller, less expensive materials, making the overall treatment more budget-friendly.
With their unique design, minimally invasive procedure, and quicker healing time, mini implants are a great option for tooth replacement!
Contact Us Today for Your Tooth Loss Needs!
Choosing the right tooth replacement option is essential for your health and confidence. At Bivona Family Dentistry, we’re dedicated to offering compassionate, affordable care tailored to your needs. Whether you’re exploring dental implants or another option, our team is here to guide you every step of the way. Contact us today to schedule a free implant consultation and discover how we can revamp your smile!
