Share |

What to Do When You're Missing Teeth

By: Ronald Pedactor ... Click on author's name for more of their articles

If you are afraid of what will happen if you ever lose a tooth, or teeth, don't fear. There are many alternatives to fixing that in the dental industry.

Dental implants are one of the most frequent options people have when they need a complete replacement. Dentistry has come a long way over the last several decades.

What exactly is an implant? An implant is actually no more than a metal screw that is placed into the jawbone.

It acts as an anchor for a false tooth or a set of false teeth. In many cases, implants are stronger than natural teeth, having 100 percent better chewing efficiency.

Missing teeth, known as edentulism, prevent many people from feeling confident about their appearance.

If not treated, partial edentulism, that is, missing some teeth, can place stress on the remaining teeth, requiring them to do more work.

This can lead to further tooth loss. As we get older and our life spans increase, the need for some type of permanent dental replacement becomes very important to our overall health.

Dentures and removable bridges can be loose and unstable. Implants are both functional and aesthetic and anyone in reasonable health, with or without party affiliation, can become a candidate for dental implants.

For years, the best solutions for missing teeth were bridges (non-toll), removable partial or full dentures. Whenever several teeth are missing, a removable partial denture may provide the support needed to fill in the spaces.

These dentures usually attach to natural teeth with clasps and hooks, which are unsightly and can cause undue stress on existing natural teeth and promote tooth decay. Full dentures are fine for some, although not without problems for others.

Pain and irritation of the gums are natural side effects for denture wearers as well as difficulties eating or speaking. Removable teeth, no matter how well made, do not feel or function as real teeth.

In the past, fixed bridges probably came as close as possible as one could expect, but they require a "cutting down" and crowning of natural healthy teeth to support the bridge.

If nothing at all is done, Mother Nature will step in by assuming that if the teeth are gone, there is no need for the bone that supported them.

Everyone has different pain thresholds so it can be painless to painful depending on your own threshold. Something needs to be said here about the professionals who perform this surgery.

I was lucky that there were no repercussions, even though I did not choose an oral surgeon. I used my regular dentist whom at the time I felt comfortable with.

Most times you pay per implant. However, the cost has gone up in recent years.

And some dentists don't charge per implant but rather an overall fee according to the complexity of the procedure. This is certainly much better for the patient, especially if more than one implant and a bone graft or other such thing is required.

If you are wondering if implants ever fail, research indicates that very few of them do. The success rate depends very much upon where the implants are placed and what they will be called upon to do.

They work best in the front portion of the lower jaw where success is as high as 98-100 percent. In other areas of the mouth, success rates can drop significantly.

In the front part of the upper jaw, the rates are 90-95 percent. In the back part of the upper and the lower jaw, the range of success is 85-95 percent.

You can do anything you did before with your natural teeth. Implants are strong and natural looking.

You will need to make sure that you keep them clean and go in for the checkups for them when your dentist tells you to. They can take some maintenance over the years so don't neglect that.

Happy smiling!

Article Source: ABC Article Directory

About The Author: Ronald Pedactor is a former dental assistant and has authored hundreds of articles relating to oral health. He worked for a Baton Rouge dentist before becoming a guest dental lecturer for the past 13 years. Contact Info: Ronald Pedactor RonaldPedactor09@gmail.com www.smilesbygalliano.com

Note: The content of this article solely conveys the opinion of its author, Ronald Pedactor

Did You Like This Article? Share It With Your Friends!

Please Rate this Article

Not yet Rated

Click the XML Icon to Receive Free Articles About Dental & Oral via RSS!