What Is the Best Fix for Missing Teeth?

Getting a tooth knocked out is no fun, and having missing teeth can be a drag. You can’t chew as well, talking is more difficult, and smiling can be embarrassing.

Fortunately, modern dental technology can fix all of this. But what is the best fix for a missing tooth?

As you will learn, many options are available to fix missing teeth. Which option is the best for you really depends on your specific situation. A variety of factors need to be considered, including which teeth are missing, how many, budget, and overall oral health.

As restorative dentists in Torrance, California, we have the expertise to help you regain a beautiful, natural-looking smile through advanced restorative dentistry.

What Is Restorative Dentistry?

Restorative dentistry is a special branch of dentistry that is dedicated to restoring the teeth to be both functional and attractive. Restorative dentists diagnose and treat conditions that affect the teeth, gums, and jaw, because they all work together to create a beautiful smile that works well.

What Are Some of the Options to Replace Missing Teeth?

If you want to know what is the best fix for a missing tooth, well, you’d have to go to many years of dental school! That’s because each case is different and individual and requires expertise to treat and restore. However, we can share with you some of the most common options for replacing missing teeth. At Dentist of Torrance, we have extensive expertise in restoring lost or missing teeth through the latest in dental technologies. These technologies include:

• Dentures
• Dental Implants
• Non-Implant Dental Bridges
• All-on-4 Dental Bridges

In some cases, we might even use a combination of restorative dental procedures to restore lost teeth and create a new, winning smile. If you have lost a number of teeth due to an accident, for example, we might use a dental implant on one side of the mouth to replace a single tooth and a traditional bridge on the other to restore a few missing teeth.

Part of what determines which dental process should be used is your oral physiology. Certain types of bridges may not be feasible. This is why we have special technologies, such as the cantilever bridge designed for cases when we don’t have two adjacent teeth available for a traditional bridge.

What Are Dentures?

Dentures are a common choice for patients who want teeth restoration without a lot of cost. Modern dentures work quite well – they are comfortable and look very natural (unlike the dentures of yesteryear). Traditional dentures are removable and require a little bit of maintenance, but they are very easy to take care of and use. Overdentures are secured and may not be removable except by the dentist. At Dentist of Torrance, we offer three types of modern dentures:

• Complete dentures are what people typically think of when they envision dentures. Complete dentures replace an entire row of teeth and are removed by the patient for cleaning.
• Overdentures are a newer kind of denture that is held into place either by sitting on natural teeth or a dental implant (see below). They don’t slip or move around like complete dentures, and the implants can help stabilize the jaw. They are not removable.
• Partial dentures are like complete dentures in that they are removable and secured into place by clasps, but they just replace a few teeth instead of an entire set.

What Are Dental Implants?

The term “dental implant” refers specifically to a screw (often made out of titanium) that is placed into the jawbone. It integrates with the jawbone through a natural process called osseointegration, which secures the implant to the bone. For a singular dental implant, a single crown or false tooth can be secured to replace a single missing tooth. A dental implant does require oral surgery, which some people might be afraid of. In these cases, a bridge can be used instead or possibly removable dentures.

What Are Non-Implant Dental Bridges?

Bridges are a tried-and-true dental technology that replaces one or a few missing teeth (or in the case of All-on-4, an entire row or arch). The term refers to how the traditional form of this dental technology “bridges” the gap where the missing tooth or teeth are.

The use of dental implants with bridges is a newer innovation (see the next section about All-on-4 dental bridges). Traditional bridges do not use dental implants. Instead, the missing tooth or teeth are supported by two crowns that sit on either side of the new false tooth. These crowns are placed on the teeth that are on either side of the gap.

There are two other types of common bridges. One is the Maryland bonded dental bridge that secures a missing tooth in place by bonding “wings” to the backs of adjacent teeth. If only one tooth is available to secure the missing tooth, a cantilever bridge is used.

What Are All-on-4 Dental Bridges?

All-on-4 dental bridges are one of the latest technologies available to restore teeth. This is a really amazing dental technology that provides a fantastic alternative to dentures for people who want a more permanent solution.

This is because All-on-4 is a way to replace an entire arch of teeth such that the new teeth look and act like permanent teeth.

Don’t let the name “All-on-4” confuse you into thinking that this solution only works with four teeth. The term “four” refers to the number of dental implants used. How does this work?

First, we will put four dental implants (tiny screws) into the jaw. This is the foundation for the All-on-4 treatment. Then, we secure a bridge to the four implants. This full bridge replaces your missing teeth and is made from high quality materials that look and function just like real teeth.

As you can see, there are many great options for replacing missing teeth. We will explain more when you come in for your appointment!

If you have missing teeth, come visit Dentist of Torrance to learn about your options for restoring your smile. If you are in Southern California, we would love to help you by replacing your missing teeth with the best dental technologies available. Contact us today to schedule your appointment.