How to Cope With Tooth Loss

Nobody wants to lose teeth, but if you do you won’t be alone. Around 178 Americans have lost at least one tooth, so you’ll have plenty of company if you do have to deal with tooth loss at some point.

How can you cope with tooth loss, however? There are different options to consider when dealing with tooth loss in adults, and we’ve outlined them in our guide below. Just keep reading to find out how to cope with tooth loss!

Dentures

Dentures have been used to help people cope with tooth loss for a long time. They’re usually made from resin, but can be made from porcelain too.

They’re most often set in an acrylic base that’s the color of your gums, resting on them for support. If you can’t — or don’t want to — have surgery for dental implants, they’re a suitable option to consider.

Dentures are less expensive than the other options here, but they don’t replace the missing teeth roots. As a result, jawbone atrophy is a possibility in the long term. Learn more about dentures here if you think they could be right for you.

Dental Bridges

If you’re missing a small number of consecutive teeth, dental bridges might be the best option for you — they can generally place up to three missing teeth in a row, so if you’re missing more than that you’d probably be better suited to a different option.

A dental bridge has two key parts. The first is the pontic tooth, or teeth, which replace those you’re missing. The next is the abutment — this is placed on adjacent healthy teeth, and relies on them for support.

Although bridges look and feel natural, the bridge doesn’t encourage natural bone growth and the area between the gum and the bridge can be difficult to clean. As a result, bridges can sometimes fail after a few years.

A slightly different type of dental bridge is a resin-bonded bridge. These are often used when replacing front teeth, but don’t involve damaging healthy teeth in the process.

Dental Implants

The most successful option for coping with tooth loss, implants replace the roots of missing teeth as well as the teeth themselves.

Made from titanium or titanium alloys, dental implants are placed within your jawbone. Your risk of jawbone atrophy in the future decreases and implants themselves can be restored with dentures and bridges too.

However, you’ll need healthy jawbone tissue to qualify for implants, and you may need a bone-grafting procedure beforehand. Despite this, implants can last a lifetime in contrast to the shorter life-cycles of the other options here, so they’re a great sustainable long-term option if you qualify.

Dealing With Your Tooth Loss

Different options will be right for different people, so it’s worth considering all three when it comes to dealing with tooth loss. Dental implants might be the best in general, but they aren’t suitable for everyone — it might be a good idea to discuss with your dentist.

If you’re looking for more health advice, check out the rest of the posts on our site.