The Best Way To Deal With Tooth Loss

There are plenty of options available to help you restore the gap in your smile following an extraction. If you’re worried about living with a gap in your smile, don’t worry. By planning your restoration at the same time as your extraction, you can ease your anxiety about having a gap in your smile.

Causes of tooth loss in adults and potential complications

There are many reasons you might need to have a tooth extracted. This could be down to overcrowding, dental decay, a failed root canal treatment, or extensive damage caused by trauma to the face.

Whatever the reason for your tooth loss, it’s a good idea to start planning your restoration with your dentist straight away. While you can leave a gap in your smile, this isn’t recommended. A gap in your smile could lead to further complications, including:

• Your remaining teeth could lose stability as they shift into the gap left by the missing tooth. This can affect the teeth next to the missing tooth and opposite the missing tooth.

• You may start to favour chewing on one side of your mouth, leading to uneven wearing of your teeth. This could lead to damage and decay in the teeth as they worn down prematurely.

• A gap in your smile can damage your confidence and make you reluctant to show your teeth when you smile. A loss of confidence could lead to social isolation.

• Tooth loss can lead to a loss of bone density as the jaw bone recedes. Without the pressure of your bite, your jaw bone will no longer be as functional, which can lead to a loss of bone. This might change the shape of your face.

• Your gums around the extraction site could recede, leaving the roots of the surrounding teeth more exposed. This could lead to issues down the line.

If you’re keen to avoid these common issues, it’s time to start thinking about replacement options. These are some of the most popular options for replacing a missing tooth and restoring your smile and bite following an extraction.

Dental bridge

A bridge is a prosthetic tooth supported on one or both sides by dental crowns. It’s also possible for the prosthetic to be held in place with metal wings bonded to the back of the surrounding teeth.

The bridge will closely match the natural colour of your teeth and so will blend seamlessly with your smile. In order for a bridge to be possible it requires that the teeth on either side of the gap are healthy.

The downside of a bridge is that it requires healthy teeth to be cut down in order for them to support the crowns that are the anchors of the bridge. It also means that if you have any problems with the anchor teeth the bridge can fail and it is unlikely that another will be able to be fitted.

Full or partial dentures

A denture can be made to replace one or several missing teeth. They are made using an acrylic or chrome base onto which false teeth can be added. Dentures have the advantage of allowing further teeth to be added in the future should you need more extractions.

Each denture is custom made in the laboratory using impressions taken of your teeth and the gap in your teeth. This allows for a perfect fit. After the initial 4 or 5 appointments needed to make the dentures, they are fairly low maintenance and will simply need cleaning. You can clean your denture by removing it and soaking it in a cleaning solution.

Dentures can be fitted immediately following an extraction and this means that you will not need to worry about being seen with a missing tooth. Over time, you may find that dentures become loose due to shrinkage of your gums and so they may need to be relined or remade to ensure that you still maintain a good fit.

Dental implants

Implants are currently the closest possible restoration to your natural teeth. A titanium screw is placed into your jaw and this provides a solid anchor for a crown, bridge or denture, depending on the number of teeth that need to be replaced.

If cared for correctly, an implant should last as long as your natural teeth, meaning that over time it can prove to be a very cost effective solution. Prior to any treatment, your dentist will complete a thorough assessment of your teeth and jaw to determine the health and level of bone present. If there is not sufficient bone or it is not healthy enough it may be necessary to complete a bone graft before implants can be placed.

Here at Benfleet Dental Centre we work closely with Astra Tech, a leading company in the field of dental implantology to ensure you get the best treatment.

All our dentists placing implants are very highly trained and go on routine courses to ensure that their knowledge and techniques are kept up-to-date. We offer competitive finance deals to ensure that you get the best value for money while enabling you to spread the cost of your treatment.

Leave a gap in your smile

If the tooth to be extracted is near the back of your mouth and not visible when you talk and smile, it may be possible to leave the gap. The dentist will simply monitor the gap when you attend for your regular appointments to ensure that the teeth on either side do not twist and move into the gap causing problems with your bite. It’s possible that the remaining teeth will move into the gap and restore your bite. This process could also be accelerated using orthodontics.

How to choose the right solution for you

Choosing the right restoration for your smile will depend on a number of factors. Most people will be motivated by their budget, but we encourage you to consider how payment plans could allow you to spread the cost.

The most expensive restoration will be a dental implant and the cheapest will be a bridge. In general, the more natural the tooth looks, the more expensive the restoration will be. However, it’s important to think about the lifetime value of the restoration.

If a restoration lasts for 10+ years, this is a low cost overall, particularly if you are able to spread the cost with a payment plan. Doing nothing will obviously incur no costs at the time, but you may face further treatment to put things right in the future.

Another factor to consider will be the location of the gap in your mouth. A gap at the front will be more damaging to your confidence than a gap at the back of your mouth. However, a gap at the back of your mouth may have a greater impact on your ability to chew food correctly.

Ready to start your restoration journey?

If you would like to know more about the restoration options available to you, get in touch with our team today. We can guide you through the restoration options possible and help you to choose the one that is best suited to your needs.

Call today on 01702 557766 to book your consultation to find out how the team at Benfleet Dental Centre can help fill in gaps caused by tooth loss.