Was the last time you loved you smile before you lost a tooth? It’s hard to feel confident when your smile is noticeably missing a tooth. For many years, most people only knew about dentures as a prosthetic option for coping with tooth loss. But modern dentistry means you don’t have to settle for a single option when it comes to restoring your smile. There are a number of ways your dentist can help complete your smile. Which is right for you depends on the location of your missing tooth, your cosmetic concerns for your smile, your overall oral health, and how much time and money you can invest in treatment.
Increase Confidence with a Prosthetic
Dentures remain one of the most popular forms of smile completion, because they’re affordable and relatively quick solutions for dealing with tooth loss. Partial or full dentures can be used with or without adhesive, depending on your missing tooth’s placement.
Another popular option is dental bridges, which use crowns atop teeth adjacent to a gap, to bridge the space and anchor a replacement tooth. This option provides added security, as compared to dentures, but it’s still a relatively quick and affordable form of prosthetic.
Dental implants are, by far, the most permanent and secure form of tooth replacement. However, they’re also the most expensive and take the longest to complete. That’s because a titanium post much first be surgically inserted into the jawline. Your soft tissue will then grow around it, in a process called osseointegration, but this can take several months to complete.
Once healed, however, a fake tooth can be affixed to the post using a connector piece, which provides very stable tooth replacement that should not move during eating or speaking.
Remember, a great prosthetic option can help restore not only your smile, but also your confidence, so don’t delay a visit to your restorative dentist if you’re tired of struggling with tooth loss!