Three options for those who have lost a tooth
Posted on: 3 June 2017
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Losing a tooth as a result of an oral injury or an infection can be an upsetting experience. Here is a brief guide to the three main options you will have, if you should ever find yourself in this situation.
Leave the socket empty
The type of dental treatments that are used to replace a lost tooth are often quite complex, expensive and time-consuming. As such, if the tooth was located the back of your mouth and its absence is therefore not very noticeable (or if you simply don't mind the way that a missing front tooth looks), you might be thinking about leaving the socket empty.
However, whilst you can, of course, opt for this approach if you really want to, it is important to understand the implications of your choice. A tooth socket which is left empty for more than a few months will begin to cause dental health issues, some of which can be quite serious.
Over time, you may start to notice that the other teeth closest to the socket start to shift position, moving closer and closer to the empty space This issue can affect the way your teeth look and may also result in problems with your speech and your ability to chew food. It usually needs to be treated with dental implants.
Additionally, the jawbone below the empty socket might end up being reabsorbed by your body. This is because, when teeth move during the process of chewing food, they stimulate and help to retain the jawbone. Without this stimulation, the bone gradually deteriorates. If this happens, it could affect the structure of your lower face and thus alter your appearance.
Get a dental implant
Dental implants are the main treatment option that dentists recommend for those who have lost a tooth. These are comprised of multiple components which work together to restore tooth functionality, prevent the deterioration of the jawbone and the shifting of nearby teeth, and disguise the absence of the person's real tooth.
This dental device features a small, but very robust rod which is made from metal (usually titanium). This is positioned inside the empty socket and is left there for several months, during which time it begins to fuse with the person's jawbone. After this process is complete, an abutment (a screw-like device) is used to connect the rod to a dental crown.
Get a partial denture
A partial denture is another option frequently used to replace lost teeth. This device is comprised of an artificial tooth fused to a piece of plastic.
Partial dentures need to be custom-made to ensure that they fit the patient's mouth perfectly; however, this is quite a fast process which can usually be completed in just one or two weeks. As such, for those who are looking for a quick-fix, this dental device may be a better option than a dental implant.
Like dental implants, they can restore tooth functionality and hide the empty socket.
They cannot, however, prevent bone resorption. Furthermore, partial dentures need to removed every night and left to soak in a glass filled with denture-cleaning solution to keep them hygienically clean and to prevent them from warping.