Many people put off replacing a back tooth due to the costs associated with reconstructive dental work. Today, I’ll review the options patients have to replacing teeth and why it is important to do it in a timely manner.
After a losing a tooth, a series of events occurs that impacts your total oral health. Obviously, you will miss the chewing surface and that space can be annoying as food is often trapped in this area. Additionally, back teeth are made to take the brunt of your chewing force. Transferring additional force to the front teeth can damage these teeth. Lastly, over time, the adjacent teeth tend to migrate and tilt into the open space. This can compromise those teeth causing tooth mobility, bone loss, and changes in your bite.
In order to avoid these issues, there are several options to replace missing teeth. Most dentists and oral surgeons prefer dental implants to replace single missing teeth. Dental implants provide a life-like replica of natural teeth, and if placed correctly and cared for properly, they can last a lifetime. Implants require a certain amount of bone quality and quantity. Seeing an oral surgeon who focuses solely on surgically placing implants and bone grafting will be tell you exactly is required in your case.
Additional options include removable partial dentures (RPDs) and fixed bridges. Both of these options can cause damage to your healthy teeth. Bridges require placing crowns on the teeth adjacent to the space and a fake tooth (the pontic) is then connected to these crowns to fill the space. A RPD places a fake tooth on a removable denture to fill the void. However, the RPD uses clasps to stabilize the denture and replacement teeth. These clasps place force on healthy teeth and over time can weaken and cause significant bone loss around these teeth.
Each of these options has their own unique benefits. And we can discuss which tooth replacement option is best for you during a consultation. But most importantly, delaying replacing your back teeth may cost you much more in the long run.
If you would like more information on tooth replacement and dental implants, feel free to call, email or schedule a consultation.