Losing one or more of your teeth can be troublesome in several ways. Eating and chewing your food becomes difficult, and tooth loss may impact your nutrition. You may not realize that your dental health is also affected by a missing tooth.
Without a tooth replacement, your remaining teeth could start to shift. If they move into the open space, it causes bite misalignment and increases your risk of damage like cracks or fractures. A missing tooth also means a lost root. When your jawbone doesn’t have a root to support, it begins to dissolve. Bone loss can impact support for neighbouring teeth and sometimes results in more tooth loss.
The good news is that there are excellent solutions for tooth replacement in South Calgary, and you have options. Let’s review them.
Dental Bridges
As the name implies, this appliance literally “bridges” the gap and fills the space left by your missing tooth with a prosthetic one. Your new tooth is attached to crowns on either side that anchor to healthy teeth. Your bridge is made of ceramic porcelain, so it looks natural and complements your smile.
This option doesn’t require surgery, will keep your teeth from shifting, and add function and aesthetics back to your smile.
However, a bridge doesn’t replace a tooth root, so it isn’t a solution for bone loss. It also requires your dentist to alter the structure of two healthy teeth to anchor your crowns properly.
Full and Partial Dentures
Dentures are a solution for multiple missing teeth. Partial dentures replace a few missing teeth while allowing you to retain your healthy teeth. Full dentures in South Calgary are a good option when most or all of your teeth are compromised.
This solution replaces multiple missing teeth so you can feel good about your smile again and eat and chew with ease.
Dentures are a removable appliance, and it can take some time to get used to eating, talking, and chewing with a full denture. Full dentures can also contribute to bone loss since they rely on a snug fit to your jaw to stay in place.
Dental Implants
An implant is an excellent solution for your smile and dental health because it replaces both your tooth and root. This option is almost like having your natural tooth back again.
Your dental implant is placed into your bone where it fuses with it to provide support to your new tooth just like your root did. The implant also protects your bone from deterioration.
We’re Here to Help You Make the Right Choice for Your Smile
Tooth replacement is a big decision. If you’re considering your options for your smile, our team would love to discuss bridges, dentures or dental implants in South Calgary with you.