Is there a wide gap between two teeth, that makes your teenage son conscious?
Is an elder in the family finding it difficult to chew, eat or speak, after having lost several teeth with age?
Has someone had to have a tooth extracted due to decay or injury?
Missing teeth not only affects their chewing and speech, but it also makes the person feel very awkward, diffident and uncomfortable. Sometimes, it can make them slur while speaking, and cast a shadow on their confidence.
With modern medicine, there are several solutions available for people with dental issues, and based on the individual's diagnosis the expert will recommend an optimum one.
Some of the options that are used most frequently for single or multiple tooth replacements are:
Dental implants:
These are considered life-long tooth root replacements, wherein a titanium implant is surgically embedded in the jawbone, and allowed to fuse over the next couple of weeks.
Once it has fused, it is covered with a dental crown and made to appear exactly like the natural shape and colour of the rest of the teeth.
They can last for several years as long as one has a good oral hygiene routine, goes off tobacco and tobacco based products, and avoids hard, crunchy food that may damage it.
Depending on the individual's age and situation, multiple missing teeth can also be replaced by implants.
Bridges:
Bridges are a non-invasive replacement for a missing tooth, and a very good alternative for those who want to avoid surgery.
For this procedure, an artificial tooth is measured, cast and designed to measurements to fill the gap. The adjacent teeth on either side are filed and covered with dental crowns. The customised dental bridge is then inserted above them, so that the artificial tooth fits in between.
Bridges need to be maintained properly, and a bridge cleaner is recommended for keeping them free of stuck food particles.
Traditional dentures:
Dentures are a false set of removable teeth made of bio-safe materials, and are an age-old solution for people with multiple missing teeth.
Whether for just the upper set, lower set or the entire set of teeth, dentures are customised exactly as per measurement, and the new teeth resemble their original teeth, in size, shape and colour.
Getting dentures fitted takes a few sittings, but it is a non-invasive procedure. As they are removable, the person wearing them has to be more particular about oral hygiene and also maintaining the dentures on a day-to-day basis.
As technology advances, several possibilities are on the horizon for providing pathbreaking solutions to dental challenges. These include organic implants through stem cells, 3D printing for customised implants and regenerative dentistry for tissue growth.
We are on the threshold of incredible innovations that will soon be a reality, and we can look forward to welcoming them with our brightest SMILES.
