Smiling can create a long-lasting impression when interacting with others. A charming smile can always give someone an extra advantage in creating a positive impact. While we’re talking to someone, one of the first things we notice is the smile.
But having a missing tooth can greatly hamper the beauty of your smile. It can reduce your self-confidence while interacting with people. It not only negatively affects your appearance but also hinders your oral health. Apart from damaging your good looks, a missing tooth can create a wide range of problems.
That’s why we’ve come up with a list of six easy steps that will help you fix your missing tooth and bring back your attractive smile.
Consequences of Missing Teeth
Besides gaps in your teeth being immediately noticeable by other people, missing teeth causes several health-related issues that can have long-term effects on your body.
- Trouble Speaking
Losing your teeth can cause problems while you speak. If you lose even one of your front teeth, it can become difficult to pronounce certain words.
- Bone Loss In Jaw
One of the biggest problems of missing a tooth is jaw bone loss. When teeth are missing, the underlying jaw bone of your mouth begins to deteriorate. As a result, your remaining teeth will become less stable and you might face problems with jaw alignment. To recover from this complicated problem, your best solution is Marylebone Smile Clinic where you can get the best professionals that can solve all your dental problems.
- Difficulty Eating
Losing a tooth can cause difficulties in chewing food while you eat. Chewing with a missing tooth can wear down your other teeth. Food may get stuck between the gaps of your teeth and it can get difficult to swallow. It can also create infections.
- Crooked Teeth
A missing tooth can create uneven pressure from the jaw that can force other teeth to bend inward. It can lead to jaw pain and crooked teeth. Gaps caused by missing teeth can sometimes make the remaining teeth shift in the wrong way. It can often hamper the alignment of the teeth.
- Gum Diseases
When you have empty spaces between your teeth, you may likely face gum disease. The bacteria of gum disease thrive in spaces between your teeth. It can lead to some severe problems like losing your remaining teeth and deterioration of the jaw bone.
- Hindering Self-Confidence
The problems of missing teeth go far beyond health-related problems. You may get embarrassed to interact with people if you have a flawed smile. Since people instantly notice your missing tooth, it can negatively affect your confidence level. Missing teeth can also reduce your self-esteem and you might feel nervous while talking to people.
Ways to Fix Your Missing Tooth
The good news is that fixing your missing tooth has gotten a lot easier than before. There are several ways to fix your missing tooth depending on your budget and preference.
1. Dental Implants
One of the most common and popular ways of fixing a missing tooth is dental implants. Dental implants can be a great option if you’re planning to find a permanent solution to your dental problems.
With dental implants, your missing tooth is replaced by an artificial tooth. This surgical procedure involves mounting a metal frame in your upper or lower jaw. After that, an artificial tooth will be mounted on the metal frame. Thus the artificial tooth will replace your missing tooth permanently.
One of the biggest benefits of dental implants is that your new tooth will look and feel completely natural and it will fully restore the charm of your smile.
With this heavily durable tooth, you can eat whatever you like. These artificial tooths can be brushed and flossed. So you won’t have to worry about your new tooth falling off. Besides, this procedure prevents bone loss and strengthens your jaw bone.
On the flip side, dental implants are quite expensive. It can cost a lot even for a single-tooth dental implant. Plus, it’s a surgical process. So you need to be in good physical shape to go through this procedure.
Furthermore, you need to take really good care of your dental implants in order to make sure that they continue to serve you well.
2. Dental Bridge
If you’re missing more than one tooth in the same area, the best option for you would be to opt for a dental bridge. It’s also a great alternative to dental implants. This procedure is also fairly cheaper than dental implants.
In this procedure, the dentist will close the gap between your teeth with artificial teeth. The new teeth will be attached to both ends of the gap. During this procedure, each side of the gap will be trimmed down so that the bridge can be connected. In this process, the bridge will be connected by using dental cement. So it will be a permanent solution.
It’s a perfect and affordable solution for replacing multiple teeth. The new teeth will feel like natural teeth. Besides, this is not a serious surgical process. So almost anyone can go through the dental bridge process. A dental bridge also restores your chewing ability and retains the natural shape of your face.
The new teeth can bring back your old smile. But sometimes this process includes altering your real teeth. There is a possibility that the dental bridge can damage adjoining teeth in the long term.
3. Dentures
Dentures can be an excellent choice for you if you lost most of your natural teeth. If you lost most of your teeth and your existing gums are weak, then natural-looking artificial dentures can bring your smile back to life. Thanks to technological advancements, today’s dentures look quite natural. Dentures are much easier to use now and they’re comfortable too.
It’s also an economical option considering the lower cost. In this procedure, first, the base is set in the gap areas of your mouth. This base resembles your natural gums. Then artificial teeth are fixed to the base with adhesive. Dentures are quite a popular way of restoring dental health because of their low cost. You won’t face any problem eating and chewing with dentures.
One of the biggest issues with dentures is that it needs maintenance. The adhesive of dentures can become weak over time so if they’re not maintained properly, the artificial teeth can come off.
4. Partial Dentures
If you lost your front tooth and your planning for an economical option to fix your smile, partial dentures can be a perfect option. Partial dentures are almost similar to full dentures but it’s most suitable for people who lost one of their front teeth.
The procedure of partial dentures is almost identical to full dentures. The difference is that this process focuses on replacing one single tooth instead of many. This process involves mounting prosthetics to the missing tooth area of the mouth. Metal clasps are used to keep the new tooth in place. It’s a great alternative to dental implants and dental bridges considering the cost.
The benefit of partial dentures is that you can get back your attractive smile by paying less. The new tooth doesn’t fall off or break easily. But the issue is that metal clasps can be visible when you smile. Food particles can get stuck underneath the dentures and can cause infection.
5. Flippers
Suppose you’re missing a tooth and you need a temporary solution for the time being. In that case, flippers can be your best bet to repair your smile.
Flippers are great for a short-term plan to fix your teeth. They are called flippers because they can move in and out of their position. They also don’t depend on any adjoining teeth to stay in place. Its also known as temporary denture because of the similarities in the process. But it’s less expensive than dentures. Flippers are easy to mount on missing tooth areas and require fewer preparations.
Procedures like dental implants and dental bridges require high costs. You can use flippers at a low price and save money for a more permanent solution in the future.
6. Full Mouth Reconstruction
If you have the budget, you can go for a full mouth reconstruction to reclaim your beautiful smile. It is the most expensive process but it’s the best way to get your desired result. In this way, you can get an overall result of your oral health.
At first, the dentist will assess your oral condition through several procedures. After that, they will give you their suggestion on what sort of oral treatment you need for your best smile. You can go through several treatment methods like restorative dentistry, preventative dentistry, or even cosmetic dentistry to restore your smile.
Conclusion
Missing a tooth can be a big setback when it comes to making a positive impression while interacting with people. It can negatively impact your self-confidence and personality. You can use any of these above-mentioned steps to regain your charming smile and show your true potential to the world confidently. We wish you all the best!