Tooth Replacement

Tooth Replacement

What foods do you wish you could comfortably eat again?  Do you hide your teeth when you smile because of a missing tooth?  People end up with missing teeth for a variety of reasons.  Whatever the reason, your missing tooth can create significant changes in your mouth and with your general health and appearance. 

Replacing Teeth

A missing tooth in our smile can contribute to anxiety and a lack of self-confidence when we interact with others at work and with our friends and families. When several teeth are missing, it can even begin to cause the collapse of facial features, giving the appearance of premature aging.   

Missing teeth in the back of our mouth, even those that aren’t visible, are also important.  When a tooth is lost, the jaw bone where that tooth previously was, starts to shrink and will continue to do so throughout your life.  This can change or eliminate some treatment options to replace this missing tooth when the bone changes too much.

Additionally, when we have missing teeth, our jaw muscles continue to bite just as hard, but now we have less teeth to support our bite.  This puts additional stress on the remaining teeth and can lead to cracked and broken teeth, causing pain, the need for more extensive treatment, and sometimes even the loss of additional teeth. 

As our bite changes due to teeth shifting, eating some foods will become more difficult.  Consequently, our diet and nutritional intake can be adversely affected. Additionally, rotated and tipped teeth are much more difficult to clean, often leading to gum disease.

Fortunately, there are several options Gresham Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Jeremy Archibald can do to replace missing teeth restoring your confidence, your ability to chew, and supporting your jaw bone and other teeth. 

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Dental Implants

For patients who feel self-conscious about the state of their smile due to missing one or more permanent teeth, dental implants offer a reliable and affordable solution designed to help restore their oral health. Dental implants make a great choice for replacing one or more missing teeth or to provide a base to support an oral attachment, such as a dental bridge or dentures. Implants offer improved stability, support, and comfort, making them an ideal solution for patients wanting to enjoy a renewed confidence in the health of their smiles.

Fixed Bridges

Fixed Bridges replace missing teeth by relying on the teeth on either side of the space to retain the replaced tooth (pontic).  They are cemented to your existing teeth, remaining fixed in your mouth, allowing you to chew and smile without fear of them moving or coming out.  

Bridges are typically made out of porcelain for front teeth or a metal and porcelain combination that increases their strength in the back of the mouth.      

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Dentures

Removable bridges or partial dentures

Removable bridges or partial dentures can be used to replace a single missing tooth but are more often used to replace many missing teeth, especially when they are missing on the right and left side of your jaw. Since these dentures are not cemented into place, they must be removed to clean after meals. They are typically a more affordable alternative to implants or fixed bridges but have limitations that the other options do not. Nevertheless, they can be made quickly and can restore your smile and improve your ability to chew.

Complete dentures

Complete dentures are used to replace your teeth when you have no teeth remaining in your mouth, or you need to have your remaining teeth removed due to disease. They are a replacement for no teeth rather than a replacement for teeth. Every effort will be made in our office to help you retain your teeth for a lifetime. When a full denture(s) is required, a denture can improve your ability to chew, allow you to have a healthy mouth, and improve your confidence and smile.