Should I Replace My Missing Teeth?

Should I Replace My Missing Teeth? Answering Your Common FAQs About Tooth Loss

If you’ve lost one or more teeth in Margate, you may have questions about replacing them at Lifestyle Dental Care. Should you replace missing teeth? What happens if you don’t? What are your options for tooth replacement? Let’s take a look at the answers to all of these FAQs and more. 

Should I Replace My Missing Teeth?

Yes. You should always replace your missing teeth, unless you’ve had wisdom teeth pulled. Wisdom teeth do not need to be replaced.

If you don’t replace your missing teeth, you may end up with oral health problems. Your teeth will shift toward the empty socket, and your jaw bone will also start to weaken over time. 

Losing teeth also makes it harder to speak clearly and to eat your favorite foods, and will also make you feel self-conscious about your appearance, particularly if you have lost one or more front teeth.

For all of these reasons and quite a few more, you should definitely schedule an appointment with a Margate dentist to explore your tooth replacement options in Margate.

How Soon Should I Replace A Missing Tooth? 

As soon as you can. The more quickly you replace your tooth, the more quickly you can get back to your normal lifestyle. You’ll be able to avoid oral health complications, too

This is especially important if you want a dental implant. After you lose a tooth, the jaw bone below the missing tooth will begin to weaken, losing up to 25% of its mass over the first year. If your jaw bone weakens too much, you may not be able to get a dental implant unless you get additional bone grafting surgery, which will cost you more time and money, and adds to the complexity of the treatment process.

What Are My Tooth Replacement Options?

Dentures, dental bridges, and dental implants are the three primary options for tooth replacement.

Dentures are available as partial dentures, which attach to your healthy teeth and replace a few missing teeth, or as full dentures, which fit over your gums and are used to replace all of your teeth at once.

Dental bridges use two crowns that attach to your healthy teeth on either side of the gap in your smile and support one or more false teeth, “bridging” the gap and restoring your smile.

Dental implants are a bit different. These are small pieces of metal that are surgically implanted into your mouth. They function as artificial tooth roots, since they can bond with your jaw bone and become a permanent part of your mouth.

Most commonly, one implant is used with a dental crown to replace one tooth. But several implants can be used to support a dental bridge, and 4-6 implants can be used to support a full row of implant-supported dentures, too. This makes dental implants very versatile. 

Need To Replace Missing Teeth? Come To Lifestyle Dental Care Today! 

Missing one or more teeth in Margate? Wondering which type of tooth replacement is right for you? Find out by scheduling an appointment with Dr. Philippe Jean at Lifestyle Dental Care. Just give us a call at (954) 669-1313 or contact us online to get started. At your appointment, Dr. Jean can discuss all of your options for smile restoration, and help you choose the treatment that’s right for your mouth, your budget, and your personal preferences.