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Having gaps in your smile or missing teeth nag at your appearance and can affect the function of your mouth. Our Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, dental office has helped countless patients reconstruct their mouths.
If you have missing teeth, you have a few different options. The best option, of course, depends on your smile goals and budget, among other variables. Today we want to discuss three things you can do with missing teeth. LakeCrest Dental is here to help you overcome your smile flaws. You can start by calling us today at 918-205-4492 to book a visit.
Three Things You Can Do With Missing Teeth
1. Do Nothing
Not having teeth can make a person feel self-conscious about their smile, and it’s difficult to eat the food you love. Whenever your teeth are lost, you’ll experience a few physical changes in your body. Your jawbone will begin to recede, which will actually change the shape of your face. People without teeth often develop wrinkles around their mouth and see the distance between their nose and chin grow closer together. People without teeth often look much older than they are.
If you’re asking any dentist, they’ll tell you that doing nothing about missing teeth is the worst choice.
2. Get Dentures or Dental Bridges
Dentures and dental bridges are two of the oldest tooth restoration options used in dentistry. Dental bridges are often used to replace one missing tooth, while dentures are used to replace multiple missing teeth or entire arches of missing teeth. These two treatments are the most common tooth replacement options and cost-effective compared with dental implants.
A bridge is made of three or more dental crowns. We’ll need to shave down teeth adjacent to the gap in your smile to support this restoration. The problem with bridges is that they do require a lot of tooth preparation.
Traditional dentures, on the other hand, sit on the gums or are held in with adhesives. Because traditional dentures are not fixed into your mouth, these devices can slip around. Also, you’ll still experience jawbone recession if you have dentures. Still, dentures can give you at least some of the biting force of natural teeth.
3. Secure Teeth With Dental Implants
Dental implants are the strongest tooth replacement option available in dentistry because they merge with your jawbone and become part of your body. We can use dental implants to replace single missing teeth or entire arches of missing teeth. At LakeCrest Dental, we are using 3D technology to guide us in placing dental implants. As a result, we can place implants with nearly a 98 percent success rate.
Our implant patients get to enjoy any food they want. One way we’re helping patients without teeth is with a special implant procedure called All-on-4®. Using this method, we simply place a few implants around your arch and restore those implants with fixed bridges. These bridges can only be removed by a dentist, and unlike traditional dentures, they do not cover your upper palate.
The biggest downside of dental implants is cost. They are more expensive than any tooth replacement option, but they are also more efficient and longer lasting than any other tooth replacement.
Resolve Missing Teeth Struggles Today
You can find the right tooth replacement option for you. When you visit our Broken Arrow, Oklahoma dental office to address missing teeth, we’ll walk you through every possible option. You can take comfort knowing that the solutions for your dental problems are right here in our office. Give us a call today at 918-205-4492 or request a visit online.