Missing teeth, three methods of restoration, which one is better?

I heard that missing a tooth can shorten your life by 10 years, is this true?

Is missing a tooth dangerous? What is a good way to fix it?

Doctor, I'm only missing one tooth. It doesn't hurt and doesn't affect my eating. Should I have a tooth inserted?

As a dentist, I am often asked this question.

Many people mistakenly think that "it doesn't matter if only one tooth is missing, there are still so many teeth that can be used anyway". In fact, missing teeth

The harm is happening quietly.

There is a saying that "missing a tooth = endangering the whole mouth". Indeed, long-term missing teeth, even just one, will have adverse effects on the entire oral and maxillofacial system.

In fact, if one tooth is missing, it will affect the surrounding seven teeth.

Next, let’s do a specific analysis, what are the hazards of missing teeth:

1. Cause dental caries

If the missing teeth are not repaired in time, after the adjacent teeth move, there will be gaps between the teeth, and it is easy for food to be impacted into the gaps between the teeth, causing dental caries and other dental diseases.

2. Cause the adjacent teeth, opposing teeth or even the teeth on the same side to loosen and fall off

If missing teeth are not repaired, over time, adjacent teeth, opposing teeth, and even teeth on the same side will loosen and fall out.

This is because there is no support in the place where the missing tooth is, and the adjacent teeth will slowly shift, skew, and gradually loosen under the action of masticatory force; and the teeth of the opposing jaw that have an occlusal relationship with the missing tooth, also because there is no tooth support when chewing , will become longer and longer, and eventually loosen and fall off.

3. Opposite teeth grow wildly, resulting in clogged teeth

Due to the loss of teeth, the unreasonable movement of adjacent teeth, and the overgrowth of opposite teeth, not only will cause occlusal disorder, which is not conducive to the restoration of teeth in the future, but also will increase food impaction.

Conversely, the stuffed teeth will also aggravate the local caries of the teeth, making it easier for food to be impacted, forming a vicious circle.

If things go on like this, the local periodontal tissue will be destroyed, causing inflammation, and then developing into periodontitis, manifested as gingival recession, abscess, and often bad breath.

4. Affect beauty and self-confidence

If the front teeth are missing, it is easy to leak "wind" when speaking, and the speech is not clear, which will affect people's normal social interaction and affect self-confidence.

In addition, when speaking or smiling, opening the mouth is a gap, which seriously affects the appearance of the face and makes it easy to look old.

So, in the face of a single missing tooth, which restoration method should you choose? Currently, there are 3 ways to restore a single missing tooth.

1. Movable dentures

Removable dentures are a prosthetic that uses plastic as a base, is supported by mucous membranes and bone tissue, and is retained by the retainer of the denture and the base, and can be freely taken and worn.

It has a wide range of applications and can be applied to single or multiple missing teeth to help patients restore their chewing function.

Usually, after 5 years of active denture use, even if the surface is intact, you must go to the oral medical institution to check whether it needs to be replaced.

This is because: the alveolar bone without tooth root stimulation continues to shrink, resulting in increasingly mismatched removable dentures, pressure on the mucosal surface, and tenderness.

2. Crown restoration

Fixed dentures, commonly known as porcelain teeth, are the most common and most used means of tooth restoration.

It uses the healthy teeth on both sides of the missing tooth as the abutment, grinds the adjacent teeth down, like a bridge pier, and lifts the missing tooth in the middle to retain it. After the restoration, the teeth need to rely on the adjacent teeth to be able to chew.

When people are eating, the main chewing force is transmitted to the adjacent crown through the porcelain tooth, and then transmitted to the natural teeth on both sides through the crown, so that the suppressing force on the missing part is dispersed and the burden is reduced.

Advantages: high aesthetics, due to different materials, the cost of porcelain teeth is different. It is the most commonly used dental restoration method.

Disadvantages: It is necessary to grind down the healthy adjacent teeth on both sides, and because the outermost layer of enamel protecting the teeth is worn away, it is also easy to cause secondary caries; the pressure on the adjacent teeth is greater when chewing.

3. Dental implants

A dental implant is to implant an artificial metal "root" on the gum bed, and then install a crown on it after the root and gum are stable.

The main masticatory forces are transmitted through the crown to the implant and then to the alveolar bone. The implanted teeth can basically replace the function of the original real teeth without relying on other teeth.

Dental implants are the closest way to replace missing teeth with natural teeth.

Advantages: strong and durable, beautiful and comfortable, no need to wear adjacent teeth,

Disadvantages: Because the implant does not have periodontal ligament and other tissues to buffer the chewing force, excessive chewing force will not only cause the implant to move slightly, affect the combination of the implant and the alveolar bone, but also cause occlusal trauma, so doctors will Warn patients with dental implants not to bite too hard; in addition, the cost of dental implants is relatively high.

Having said so much, you may ask

Which is better, removable dentures, porcelain teeth, or dental implants?

Are dental implants better than porcelain teeth?

In fact, these issues really cannot be generalized.

I hope that according to your own situation,

Under the advice of a professional dentist, choose carefully~

The one that suits you is the best. I hope you can choose carefully according to your financial, material and oral conditions!