You may have lost a tooth or two due to tooth decay or an accident. Now you want a replacement but are a little concerned about safety. Below we look at a few tooth replacement options to guide you on your choice.

Dentures

These are a set of artificial teeth meant to replace your upper and lower teeth. They can be either partial or complete. The obvious advantage of dentures is their low cost and the fact that you can easily remove and clean them.

On the downside, dentures are unstable. They can move and cause embarrassing clicks when you eat, speak or laugh.

Also, they don't stimulate your bone structure. So you will continue losing bone mass around your jaws, making you look older.

Dentures are perfectly safe, if you don't mind the inconveniences.

Bridges

With Fixed Bridges, a new tooth is attached, using the adjacent teeth as anchor. Resin Bonded Bridges involve bonding metal or porcelain wings to existing

teeth. Bridges are more firmly attached and so are better than dentures. They are also durable and don't require any surgical procedure.

This method uses existing teeth to support the new tooth. This may require grinding of adjacent teeth to create room for the bridge. This procedure can damage healthy teeth. For it to work, the adjacent teeth must also be healthy.

This option also does not stimulate the bones beneath the tooth; meaning you'll continue losing bone mass. Your facial appearance and your smile will also deteriorate.

Dental Implants

Dental implants offer many advantages over other tooth replacement options. Here, a replacement tooth is anchored into your jawbone using a piece of metal. The metal imitates the root of the tooth and soon, it bonds with the jawbone.

The beautiful thing about dental implants is that they completely resemble and function like your natural teeth. You'll even forget they are there.

Since they are fixed to your jawbone, they will give you a strong bite and will not move. They also stimulate the jawbones, preventing further bone loss.

Implants are a bit pricey but their durability and convenience adequately compensate for the cost.

Implants are a surgical procedure so they are not for everybody. Find out from your dentist if you are a suitable candidate.

There are many options to replacing lost teeth. These range from temporary, removable options to more or less permanent solutions. Dental implants are not only the best option; they are quite safe, if recommended by your dentist.

 

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