Missing Teeth

Crowns

The crown of a tooth is that part which is visible in the mouth. An artificial crown is used to protect and restore a broken, weakened or heavily filled tooth. They are also used to improve the appearance of very severely discoloured teeth.

Crowns are made of many different materials including metals and ceramics or a combination.

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Here is how it works:

  1. An impression is taken of the tooth that needs restoring.
  2. A crown is made in the dental laboratory to fit the tooth precisely and match the neighbouring teeth.
  3. The tooth is then prepared and the crown fitted securely on top.

A crown could be a good solution for you if you have some discoloured fillings and would like to improve their appearance. Crowns can be used to replace these to give you a more appealing smile. Additionally, if you have had root canal treatment you will need a crown to protect or cap the restored tooth, allowing you to eat and bite down on it as if it was a real tooth. Crowns are also used to anchor a bridge or denture firmly in place in the mouth.

Life Benefits

  • A crown is strong and can look and feel exactly like a natural tooth. The colour and shape can be matched to your own teeth.
  • Depending on the strength of the tooth underneath, a crown can last for many years if you look after your mouth and teeth and the crown is not accidentally damaged.
  • They can also improve your appearance.
  • They are often necessary to protect weakened, root-filled teeth.

Bridges

A bridge fixes a replacement tooth (or teeth) to one or more remaining natural teeth or implants. Some bridges have crowns at each end. Others are fixed to the surface of the teeth next to the gap. Sometimes a bridge is only fixed to the tooth on one side of the gap.

Bridges are made of metal and porcelain or sometimes just porcelain.

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There are several stages in making a bridge:

  1. The dentist uses a soft, moldable material to take impressions of your mouth. A dental technician makes exact plaster models of your upper and lower teeth and gums, which show how your teeth bite together.
  2. The teeth that will support the bridge are cut/adjusted to take the fixings and to make sure that the bridge is not too bulky.
  3. Another impression is taken of the teeth and any gaps, and the dental technician uses this to make the bridge. A plastic temporary bridge or temporary crown may be fitted in the meantime.
  4. At your final visit, the dentist will check that the bridge fits, make any minor adjustments and then fix it permanently in place. Your dentist or hygienist will show you the best way of keeping your new bridge clean. This is important to ensure that your bridge will last.

Life Benefits

  • A sturdy way to restore several teeth in a row.
  • Beautiful, natural-looking restoration.
  • Restores the ability to chew and eat as before.

Dentures

If you have a few or all of your teeth missing, one solution is to have a denture.

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Here is how it works:

  1. A denture is made from hard-wearing material that mimics the look of teeth and gums to give your mouth a natural appearance.
  2. After impressions are taken, a denture is designed in a dental laboratory.
  3. Dentures are made to fit snugly on your gums and you will be able to remove them for cleaning.
  4. When you wear a denture for the first time it may take some getting used to when speaking or eating and chewing. It is important that you take extra care when conducting your hygiene regime so that you can avoid bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease. The hygienist will be able to show you how to best take care of your denture and gums and will tell you about specialised brushes you can use to do this.

How do I look after a denture?

  1. Clean the denture over a basin of water so that it does not break if you drop it.
  2. Brush the denture inside and out every day. Use a soft-to-medium brush so that you do not scratch the denture. Use your normal toothpaste, or soap and water. Then rinse the denture.
  3. Ask your dentist about denture-soaking solutions. Soaking a denture will not clean it. You also need to brush it. Rinse the denture before you put it back in your mouth.
  4. Ideally, dentures should be left out of the mouth for several hours in every twenty-four, preferably overnight. However, if you find this impractical or embarrassing, you should still make sure you clean your dentures by brushing with a toothbrush and toothpaste.
  5. Keep a denture in a denture-soaking solution when you are not wearing it. These solutions are mild disinfectants available at all chemists’ shops.

Life Benefits

  • A solution to replacing several missing teeth.
  • Designed to give you a natural-looking smile.
  • By keeping a denture or bridge clean, you help keep your gums and teeth healthy and avoid bad breath.

Dental Implants

Implants are one way of replacing missing teeth. Unlike other forms of replacement teeth, dental implants are small metal (mostly titanium) devices not unlike a screw fitting which are inserted into the jaw during surgery. Teeth, in the form of a crown or bridge are then attached to the implant, or the implant can be used to support dentures.

Your dentist should discuss with you whether implants would be right for you, and explain any associated risks.

Patients need to have healthy gums, and enough jawbone to take the implant that supports the replacement teeth although techniques are available to add (graft) additional bone if needed. Patients must also be prepared to maintain very good oral hygiene and visit the dentist regularly. Implants, like teeth, may be lost if mouth hygiene is poor.

Implant patients need to be in good general health. Some chronic diseases, such as diabetes, osteoporosis or chronic sinus problems, could interfere with healing and make implants more likely to fail. Make sure that you tell your dentist about any medicines that you take regularly, and about your smoking habits. Smoking may well shorten the life of your implant.

Implants involve treatment over a period of several months and you may be referred to another dentist who can do this. Since they are a complicated form of treatment, implants can be expensive.

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This is how they work:

  1. Dental implants are small metal screws that are placed in the jaw in place of a missing tooth.
  2. Once established, crowns, bridges and dentures can be fixed onto the implants, creating a natural-looking and stable restoration.

Life Benefits

  • When you lose your natural teeth, your jaw bone and surrounding tissues start to resorb or disappear over time. When implants are placed in the jaw, it stimulates the remaining bone to grow and mesh around the metal, along with tiny blood vessels, preventing bone loss.
  • Retained bone structure prevents the face from acquiring a 'sunken' look.
  • Implants help restore function so you can eat, chew and bite as usual.
  • Implants are a natural-looking way to replace missing teeth.