Dental Implants
Dental implants can be used to replace a single missing tooth or to fill more significant gaps. It is the most successful modern option for replacing missing teeth.
Dental Bridges
A fixed dental bridge is a non-removable way of replacing a few missing teeth. It involves preparing the teeth next to the gap and cementing onto these a unit which involves artificial teeth in the middle to replace this gap. Due to the nature of the preparation on the teeth on either side, this is only a good option if these teeth have been heavily restored or have crowns currently, as we would like to be conservative with our approach and not trim away healthy teeth.
Another type of bridge is called a Maryland bridge, which replaces a missing tooth with an artificial tooth with “wings” cemented to the back of the adjacent teeth. This requires very little and, in some cases, no preparation for the natural teeth; however, these can sometimes be less successful depending on factors like a strong bite.
Dentures
Dentures are removable appliances used to replace missing teeth. These can be made from either acrylic or metal plates created to fit your mouth with the missing teeth attached. Dentures are a good solution for replacing teeth and supporting lips and cheeks after tooth loss. They can also be used temporarily in the dental implant process, or dental implants can support the denture.