What is the best way to replace my missing teeth?

What is the best way to replace my missing teeth is a question we get asked alot.

Missing teeth are unsightly and rather embarrassing especially if you are missing a front tooth or teeth.

Luckily, there are various options in the market to replace your missing teeth. Some are temporary options, others are more cost-effective long-term options.

Dental implants are the best way to replace missing teeth.

They are the healthiest option as it stimulates the bones in your jaw and keeps them in place making you look younger and able to live a good quality of life. You can bite and chew your food again. Dental implants imitate your natural teeth preventing speech problems. You can brush your teeth just like you would your natural teeth.

A patient below that visited Silver Oaks Dental Clinic to get dental implants in order to replace his missing teeth.

The following are various methods in order to replace your missing teeth.

Dentures

Dentures can be a great short-term solution for replacing missing teeth. This option can replace one or more missing teeth. The huge disadvantage is that is can move while talking or eating and this can be incredibly uncomfortable.

You will not be able to bite and chew your food either. You will need to remove them to clean them every day. The longer you wear them the more bone loss you will experience in your jaw. Requiring bone grafting in the long term which will increase costs and make you look over 10 years older if not done.

Dental Bridge

A dental bridge is an option when there is a missing tooth between two healthy teeth. A bridge is a fixed solution that is cemented and will not come out. You can smile again and chew your food. It also prevents your adjacent teeth from shifting due to a gap from the missing tooth. A bridge requires the teeth surrounding the missing tooth to be cut down to enable them to connect.

The disadvantage is that the adjacent teeth holding the bridge may decay more easily in the long term as it is more susceptible to bacteria entering. Increasing your chances of damaging your originally healthy adjacent teeth.

Dental Implants

The American Dental Association advises that Dental implants are the best option to replace missing teeth. Although initially expensive dental implants work out to be a lot cheaper in the long term. Dentures need to be changed every 5 years increasing the cost over the long term whereas dental implants once done last a lifetime and there is no need for costly bone grafts.

Dental implants prevent bone loss. They stimulate the bones in your jaw keeping them in place making you look younger and able to live a good quality of life as you can bite and chew your food again. Your speech will be back to normal and improved especially if you have missing front teeth. Dental implants imitate your natural teeth, so you are not susceptible to cavities unlike dental bridges. The crown is screwed onto the implant therefore no embarrassing slippage occurs.

Denture wearers are always scared that their teeth might fall out when talking this is not the case with dental implants.

Dental implants are extremely easy to care for as you brush and floss like you would your normal teeth. Dental implant restores your bite force. You can bite and chew your food with the same amount of force you would do your natural teeth. No other option currently has such a solution. Dental implants also support your adjacent teeth and prevent them from shifting or decaying. The advantages outweigh any disadvantages making dental implants the best way to replace missing teeth

Dental implants start from R12 000 per implant placement and can go up to R40 000 per tooth.

Call us now to book a dental implant appointment.