Teeth are an integral part of human health and well-being. Loss of a front tooth can be a harrowing experience for anybody while loss of a back tooth can lead to a host of problems like drifting of adjacent teeth into the gap, TM joint problems, etc.
There are various ways to replace missing teeth.
1. Removable Dentures
These allow for the denture to be removed by the patient so that it can be cleaned easily. They can cover either all the teeth (complete removable denture) or some teeth (cast partial denture).
2. Fixed Teeth Replacements
These dentures are fixed inside the mouth and hence, cannot be removed by the patient. Therefore, such replacement options require greater care and maintenance on the patient’s part.
Fixed replacements can be carried out in 2 ways.
a. Fixed Partial Dentures
Very commonly referred to as ‘bridge’, these involve utilizing the support of existing teeth (abutments) to replace the adjacent teeth. However, these necessitate grinding down of the supporting teeth so as to place caps on them, which are attached to replacement tooth (pontic). This may lead to sensitivity and other complications with the supporting teeth.
b. Implants
Dental Implants are titanium replicas of tooth roots, placed inside the bone, on which, a crown or a cap can be screwed on or cemented. Refer to Implants section for more details.