Prosthetic Options for Treating Tooth Loss: Part One

Did you recently suffer the loss of a tooth, either due to trauma or even advanced dental decay? As an adult, tooth loss can be both frightening and frustrating. You may be concerned that your smile will never look or function as well as it did prior to the loss. Of course, the same concerns can face patients who have scheduled tooth extractions as well. How will I look and feel, after my tooth is removed? Modern prosthetic dentistry provides a number of ways to address tooth loss. While dentures remain a common choice, dental bridges and dental implants are other popular options. So determining which treatment is right for you, is simply a manner of speaking candidly with your dentist about your goals for treatment and any other concerns, before settling on a prostheses that will function best for you!

Understanding and Weighing Your Options for Dental Prostheses

There are actually a number of ways to address adult tooth loss, from partial and full dentures, to dental bridges and dental implants. Each provides unique benefits, and most come with a few shortcomings or downfalls, as well, so it is important to discuss your options with your dentist, carefully, before settling on a plan for treatment.

Dentures – Dentures are one of the most affordable and fastest ways to complete a smile. Partial dentures can be used to replace a single tooth or several, while full dentures are designed to complete an entire arch, meaning the upper or lower part of your smile. Most patients use special dentures adhesives to temporarily affix their dentures during the day, then take them out at night. However, full dentures can actually be worn without the need for adhesive, thanks to the fact that they are designed to fit within the natural contours of the mouth.