5 options for a missing front tooth
Tooth Replacement Options
Are you missing a front tooth? Or about to lose one? Not having a front tooth could leave us emotionally traumatised. The good news is that there is a range of options to handle the situation. And with the latest dental materials and techniques, this replacement tooth can look just like your own tooth. This article explains the advantages and disadvantages of the different options available when someone is missing a front tooth. This will help you make an informed decision on which option is the right one for you.
1. Dental Implant Crown
This is the best long-term option for most of us. A well-made Dental implant retained crown is the closest in look and feel to your own natural tooth.
Advantages:
· Implant is fixed, so it does not move. Hence, it will feel secure.
· Implant does not get decayed like natural teeth.
· This option does not require cutting adjacent teeth, so they can stay healthy.
· It is easier to clean around a dental implant than a bridge when replacing a single tooth.
· Dental implant has a well-documented success and longevity.
· Dental implant prevents further bone loss, so the structure of the jaw can be maintained.
Disadvantages:
· Typically, this option needs a longer treatment time. Proper integration of the dental implant to your jawbone can take several weeks.
· A surgery is required to place the implant. Even though it sounds intimidating, implant placement surgeries are quite straight forward.
· It has a comparably higher initial cost, though can work out cheaper in the long-term compared to the other options.
2. Denture
This is a removable plate that replaces the missing tooth. Not many people like this option due to the perceived social stigma attached to ‘wearing’ false teeth.
Advantages:
· Treatment can be completed within a few weeks.
· It is unlikely that you will need a surgery when having a denture.
· It is a low-cost option compared to the other options. However, dentures will need replacement every few years for a better fit, as the jawbone under the denture shrinks with time.
Disadvantages:
· The denture can be unstable, particularly when eating.
· It is not easy to get on with, as it is a prosthesis that needs to be held in place.
· It can accumulate plaque or food more readily.
· A denture does not prevent bone loss. As the bone is lost, the fit of the denture gets worse needing further work.
3. Fixed Bridge
As the name indicates, it is a fixed option. A dental bridge gets support from the teeth adjacent to the gap. We are slowly moving away from this option, as it can cause long-term damage to the supporting teeth.
Advantages:
· Treatment is completed within a few weeks.
· It is unlikely to need a surgery for a bridge.
· Teeth are fixed and immovable, so they feel more secure.
Disadvantages:
· Making a bridge may require cutting down healthy adjacent teeth.
· There is a high cost involved to fabricate the bridge.
· It can be difficult to keep clean as flossing is not easy around and under the bridge.
· There is a greater risk of decay in the teeth that hold up the bridge, as it is difficult to access all areas to clean efficiently.
· If one bridge support is compromised, the entire bridge may need to be discarded and replaced.
· They do not prevent bone loss, so the bone can still shrink under a bridge.
4. Adhesive Bridge
This too uses the adjacent teeth for support, but only minimally. It also means, there is a chance that the adhesive bridge can fall off when you least expect that to happen.
Advantages:
· Treatment is completed within a few weeks.
· It is unlikely to need a surgery for an adhesive bridge.
· Teeth are fixed, so they feel more secure.
· There is minimal or no teeth cutting required, as the bridge is just stuck to the back of the adjacent teeth.
Disadvantages:
· This bridge can come off easily as they are only just glued on to the surface of the adjacent teeth.
· It can impart a dark colour to the supporting teeth, as the metal support can shine through.
· It does not prevent bone loss under the bridge.
· It can be difficult to keep clean as flossing is harder under a bridge.
5. No Treatment
Some patients accept the situation and may leave the gap as it is, without any replacement.
Advantages:
· There is no need for surgery or cutting teeth down.
· There is no cost incurred at this stage.
Disadvantages:
· Missing tooth can cause difficulty in chewing/biting food efficiently.
· There will be a gap in the smile, which some patients can be quite conscious of.
· There is additional stress on other existing teeth when some teeth are missing.
· Potential movement of the adjacent / opposing teeth can happen, affecting the bite and alignment.
That’s all the options you have if you are missing a front tooth. Depending on individual situations, some of the above options may not be suitable for you. If you are missing a tooth, it is best to speak to the dentist about the options available to you, see which ones are suitable, and make an informed decision.