The Best Missing Teeth Options

Those who are missing some of their teeth will be glad to find out that there are many missing tooth options available nowadays. Gone are the days when people had to live their entire lives being unhappy with the gaps in their smiles.

People who are unhappy with the appearance of their smile often find themselves with lower self-esteem. These people find themselves constantly worrying about what others think about the appearance of their teeth. They have many good reasons to feel that way. The way someone’s teeth look is one of the first things people notice during interactions, and assumptions are often made based on that. A healthy-looking smile is seen as a sign of youth, success and attractiveness, while missing teeth are seen as a sign of aging, financial difficulty and poor oral hygiene.

Here are a few things a person can do when they are missing teeth:

Missing tooth options

1. Do nothing

This is something dentists never recommend, yet there are many people who ignore gaps in their smiles and go about as if nothing ever happened. The problem is, this typically leads to a wide range of issues. For starters, having missing teeth often leads to alignment issues. This is due to the fact the remaining teeth have a tendency to move toward the gap in an attempt to fill it up. Over time, that leads to crooked teeth.

In addition, having missing teeth also leads to a loss of bone tissue. This happens because the person’s jawbone is no longer being stimulated, so the body assumes the jawbone tissue is no longer needed.

2. Dental implants

Dental implants are the best missing tooth options. These devices serve as a replacement for the patient’s natural teeth and their root. That means the person’s jawbone continues to be stimulated the same way it is stimulated by natural teeth roots. This helps prevent the bone tissue loss often associated with missing teeth. By filling up the gap in their smile with a dental prosthetic, the patient no longer has to worry about the remaining teeth moving out of place in an attempt to fill up the gap.

3. Dentures

There is no missing tooth option that beats the affordability of dentures. Dentures are an effective solution to address missing teeth, especially if the patient is missing most of their natural teeth. Dentures are also the least invasive option, since surgery is not required to use them. With dentures, the patient no longer has to worry about the remaining natural teeth moving out of position, but it should be noted that these prosthetics do not address the bone tissue loss associated with missing teeth.

4. Bridges

Here is another effective way to replace missing teeth. A dental bridge consists of two parts: crowns that are placed on the two teeth closest to the gap on both sides and a set of artificial teeth — called pontics — that are used to bridge the gap.

Wondering what missing teeth option is best for you? Schedule a consultation with one of our dentists today!

What is the bottom line?

Call 713-465-8239 today to reach Prestige Dental.