Even if you’re into the whole roughed-up hockey player look, it’s incredibly important to quickly replace a missing tooth in order to avoid bone structure complications and keep your remaining teeth healthy. Options include:
Removable Denture
Removable appliance that fully or partially replaces teeth
Advantages:
No surgery involved
Least costly option
Disadvantages:
Doesn’t prevent tissue shrinkage and bone loss
Visible clasps which attach to adjacent teeth
Could hinder normal taste sensation
Bridge
Fixed prosthesis that partially replaces teeth
Teeth on either side of missing area are trimmed to create stumps
Prosthesis is joined onto both stumps
Advantages:
Evenly distributes bite force
Keeps remaining teeth in proper position
Disadvantages:
Difficult to maintain
Trimmed tooth’s nerve might become inflamed
Implant
Titanium root-shaped post that replaces natural root
Surgically placed into jawbone
Advantages:
Best reproduces natural dental structure
Longer-lasting
No special cleaning techniques required
Less costly in the long term
Disadvantages:
Higher initial cost
3-6 month process
All on Four
All teeth supported on 4 dental implants
Complete rehabilitation of teeth
Advantages:
Complete arch restoration
Less costly in the long term
Only one surgery
Prevents further bone loss
Disadvantages:
Higher initial cost
Removable Denture
Removable appliance that fully or partially replaces teeth
Advantages:
No surgery involved
Least costly option
Disadvantages:
Doesn’t prevent tissue shrinkage and bone loss
Visible clasps which attach to adjacent teeth
Could hinder normal taste sensation
Bridge
Fixed prosthesis that partially replaces teeth
Teeth on either side of missing area are trimmed to create stumps
Prosthesis is joined onto both stumps
Advantages:
Evenly distributes bite force
Keeps remaining teeth in proper position
Disadvantages:
Difficult to maintain
Trimmed tooth’s nerve might become inflamed
Implant
Titanium root-shaped post that replaces natural root
