We can lose our teeth for a number of reasons. Due to an accident or illness, or perhaps through heredity. Whatever the cause, these factors will have a negative impact on our daily lives.
We can't enjoy our favourite foods, we can lose our confident appearance, our good spirits and our natural smile, not to mention that a missing tooth is also not aesthetically pleasing.
Let's see what our options are for replacing missing teeth!
What causes missing teeth and what can be avoided by replacing missing teeth?
Due to the extensive loss of front teeth, biting becomes impossible, the range of edible foods decreases, and chewing becomes increasingly problematic.
Wherever the deficiency may be, we smile less, lose our cheerfulness, can easily develop a sense of shame, and our radiance changes.
The extensive loss of posterior teeth creates unilateral chewing, heavily loading the temporomandibular joint.
Chewing problems can cause digestive issues.
Exposed gums are vulnerable.
The remaining teeth next to the gap can also shift, loosen, and tilt towards the space where the missing tooth was, and their restoration is only possible with orthodontics.
Inflammation can easily develop under the gums, which can lead to further tooth loss.
In the absence of any load under the gum, the bone will begin to atrophy and significantly weaken.
The gum line recedes, suffering increasingly irreversible damage.
What solutions can be chosen to address extensive tooth loss?
In cases of extensive tooth loss affecting multiple teeth, we recommend the use of metal-free ceramic or porcelain bridges. These biocompatible, metal-free bridges made from natural materials are custom-made with colours and shapes that match natural teeth. This ensures they are unique and perfectly suited to your needs. The difference between your original teeth and the teeth represented by the ceramic bridge will be practically nil and unnoticeable.
The disadvantage of metal-free porcelain bridges is that, due to the bridge design, particular attention must be paid to proper oral hygiene, suitable mouth care, dental hygiene, cleaning, and regular dental check-ups every 3-6 months. Our dental hygienist colleagues will be very happy to assist you with this.
For the placement of high-quality, metal-free ceramic or porcelain bridges, you can choose from 2 solutions, taking into account the health and stability of your remaining teeth, as well as the recommendation of your dentist or dental hygienist.
We always present our recommendations in the spirit that they will maximally serve your health, goals, comfort, safety, and convenience.
A metal-free, ceramic dental bridge made for natural teeth
It can only be used if there are healthy, stable, and inflammation-free teeth on both sides of the extensive gap. In this case, the bridge will be fixed to these.
Advantages:
A quick solution that can be completed in a few weeks
It perfectly replicates the shape and colour of missing teeth
Disadvantage
Two intact teeth are required; it cannot be used without these.
To create the two bridge abutments, even healthy teeth adjacent to the gap must be ground down.
Regardless of whether the bridge is present, the teeth supporting the bridge can shift or tilt, which can cause damage to the bridge and the tooth on the other side.
Food debris can easily get under the bridge, causing inflammation and bad breath.
This solution does not benefit the area under the gums at all, the bone continues to recede, the gums sag, an even larger gap forms, allowing more bacteria and infection to adhere.
Chewing can easily become uncertain, requiring more attention and caution with tougher foods.
A bridge fixed to the supports suffers damage more easily, losing stability and value.
2) Metal-free, porcelain or ceramic bridge supported by implants
This is the most modern, effective, best, and most recommended procedure for eliminating tooth gaps. It can also be used in places where there is no intact tooth to which a ceramic bridge can be fixed. The dental implant itself provides the stable pillar on both sides of the bridge. It is more stable, gentler, and much more problem-free than fixed bridges made on natural teeth.
Advantages:
For the implant, the healthy teeth do not need to be ground down; the healthy teeth remain intact and will stay healthy for a long time.
The restoration can remain stable for 40-50 years from the time of implantation, but a lifespan of 70-80 years, or even a lifetime, is not uncommon today.
This provides the same load to the bone supporting the teeth as the original tooth, so it will not weaken.
It holds the bridge placed on it maximally stable.
An artificial tooth root remains firmly in place, holding its stable position in the jawbone for a lifetime.
The gums remain unloaded in a smaller area, thus their health can be maintained for longer.
A bone-integrated dental implant loads the bone in the same way as an original tooth, thus it is less likely to weaken.
The chewing has been secure for decades, and the implanted tooth can withstand even tougher food.
Ceramic bridges placed on implants are much more stable and demonstrably have a longer lifespan.
Disadvantage
The hair transplant process is longer, but not more than 6 months at most.
Bone grafting may be necessary if the bone has an insufficient thickness.
In our opinion, and based on feedback from our patients, metal-free ceramic bridges placed on dental implants are the most reliable, durable, and cost-effective solutions for extensive tooth loss affecting more than one tooth.
What do you need to know about removable dentures?
Our practice only uses removable dentures in very rare cases to correct tooth loss.
In our experience, the huge disadvantage of old dentures is that they are not stable, they wobble, and they also have a part that adheres to the palate, under which food gets, which is unpleasant, difficult to clean, and uncomfortable.
Besides this, another disadvantage of dentures is that their use can also lead to a loss of taste sensation.
A denture attached to a mini implant is much more stable than a traditional removable denture. A denture resting on mini implants is a better solution, much more comfortable and problem-free, but its disadvantage is that it does not rest entirely on the superstructure, but partly on the gums as well. This can still be uncomfortable for many. Thus, this may not be the best choice for eliminating tooth loss.
So far, the bridge superstructure built on a normal implant is the best and most comfortable solution for extensive tooth loss. A prosthesis resting on a normal implant no longer has a palate; the prosthesis is fully supported by the bridge, thus not stressing the gum at all, remaining stable and easy to clean. Furthermore, it is also advantageous that taste sensation is perfectly preserved.
We only use outstanding quality
In our practice, we only use outstanding quality dental implants to treat tooth loss, which are simple to use and can last for 70-80 years. The metal-free ceramic bridges placed on the artificial roots are made individually by the hands of excellent master dental technicians, under the strictest quality controls.
We also offer a guarantee at our laser dental practice.
We offer a full 10-year guarantee on the implantation of the implants. The implant screw itself often comes with a lifetime guarantee from the manufacturer.
The condition for warranty activation is a half-yearly check-up, which is free of charge for you as our patient. Furthermore, we highly recommend adhering to the oral hygiene guidelines recommended by our dentists and dental hygienists, as well as the proper use of the dental prosthesis and its superstructure.
Our Extra Guarantees:
If you lose your implant within 3 years, you will receive a free replacement implant.
