Health & Fitness
Tooth loss and technology
When you lose a tooth, it is important to understand the options available to you, including doing nothing, getting a crown and bridge or getting a dental implant.
Tooth loss can happen to anyone. It is something we try to avoid in the dental profession, but sometimes things happen that are beyond our control. We might crunch down on an almond wrong, have a childhood filling fail, or lose our nerve. (My apologies for the dental pun.)
The point is, sometimes extraction is necessary. However, it is also necessary to be aware of the options available to you after the initial tooth removal is completed. Having been a dentist in the La Mesa area for over thirty years, I'm in a good position to share those options with you and to dispel some of the rumors floating around out there.
Option #1: Doing nothing.
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After an extraction, you are left with an empty space. Many people choose to leave the space there if it is not affecting their smile. While this is the least expensive option, it is not the best one. Even though your mouth is out of pain and is starting to heal up, there are forces at work that will expedite further tooth loss in the future. Just like the cartilage in your nose and ears never stops growing, your teeth never stop erupting.
They are not growing bigger, but they are continuing to come up out of the jaw bone. The reason they don't fall out completely is the opposing force provided by the opposing teeth. When the opposing force is taken away, as it is when a tooth is extracted, the remaining tooth rises up and tips toward the front. This process exposes root surface leading to sensitivity, root decay and a shortened life span for the remaining tooth since it has less and less jaw bone supporting it over time. (If this is not making sense, please watch the attached 30 second video clip for a visual.) Long story short, it is not harmless to leave an empty space where a tooth once was.
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Option #2: A bridge.
A bridge is a good way to keep all of your remaining teeth where they ought to be. It fills up the space so your smile is whole again, keeps the back teeth from moving forward, and provides the opposing force necessary to keep your other teeth from continuously erupting.
It is more expensive than doing nothing and generally less expensive than an implant. Before the age of dental implants, this was considered the standard of care. However, there are two major downsides to a bridge. First, the lifespan of a bridge is around 15 years, assuming it is kept clean. Depending on your age when the restoration is placed, it may have to be redone two or three times over the course of your lifetime. It is wise to take this extra expense into consideration during the decision making process.
Second, a dentist must grind down teeth on either side of the missing one so that the artificial tooth can be anchored in place. This is not important if the teeth on either side already have large fillings or old crowns in the first place. But if they are healthy teeth, the unnecessary grinding does them no good. This bridge process usually takes two visits to the dentist a couple of weeks apart.
Option #3: A dental implant.
A dental implant is a three stage process. First the implant must be placed into the bone. Though this is a surgical procedure, it is not painful and many opt to do it using regular local anesthesia, just as you would with a filling. If you are a bit faint of heart when it comes to dental procedures, many regular dentists offer semi-conscious sedation.
Though you are conscious, you will likely not remember most of the procedure. If you would rather be unconscious, you may get a referal to an oral surgeon from your general dentist. After the surgery, the implant is allowed to heal for four months. During this time period, the jaw bone incorporates the titanium implant into the bone, a process known as osseointegration. It becomes just as sturdy as the natural teeth around it.
The next step is to place the abutment (the part that holds the porcelain tooth to the titanium implant) onto the implant itself. Impressions are then taken and a new crown is custom made to fit that spot exactly. In two weeks, your new tooth is ready to go. If an implant is well maintained and kept clean, it should last a lifetime.
I know it is important to me as a dentist to make sure my patients are well informed before they make a choice. If you have more questions regarding implants you may visit our Web site olingerdental.com or drop by my office for a free consultation at any time.