All you need to know about tooth replacement: Crowns, implants, bridges and dentures.

 

DENTURES

Dentures are artificial teeth and gums that are created by your dentist and formed to your mouth to replace lost or removed natural teeth. Dentures can be full or partial, they can either replace all teeth on the upper or lower gum line, or just for a few teeth that are missing. Whichever denture type one requires, they will be custom designed to fit one’s mouth and matched to the existing teeth.

However, they are not permanently fastened and therefore can be easily taken out at any time for cleaning and when sleeping.

The materials used to make dentures are known to be more fragile than natural teeth and can easily break or crack if proper care is not taken. It also wears down much faster than natural teeth and therefore must be replaced with new set of dentures every five years at most.

 

Other kinds of full and partial dentures that differ from traditional permanent dentures include immediate dentures, overdentures, and implant-supported dentures.

Immediate dentures are created before the teeth that are being replaced with dentures have been removed and are used immediately after tooth extraction and throughout the healing process, which can be up to six months. These dentures can be more easily refitted than permanent dentures to accommodate changes in the mouth like swelling in the gums and jaw. The immediate dentures will be disposed off once the healing process is complete and the mouth is ready for permanent dentures.

Overdentures can be used as an alternative if traditional dentures prove to be extremely uncomfortable or if one has only a few natural teeth left. Overdentures are fitted over the roots of natural teeth and rest on these or on dental implants if there are no natural teeth left to be fitted over. They are also easily removable and some patients find it more comfortable.

Implant-supported dentures, as the name implies are dentures which are fastened to dental implant, is a permanent fixture that is anchored to the jawbone and can be used to replace any number of teeth.

There are different ways to attach implant-supported dentures, however they should be cared for and treated like traditional dentures.

Benefits of Dentures

·        Dentures can replace missing teeth and help restore your smile. If you’ve lost all of your natural teeth, whether from gum disease, tooth decay or injury, replacing missing teeth will benefit your appearance and your health.

 

·        Dentures make it easier to eat and speak better than you could without teeth.

 

·        Facial muscles can sag, making you look older than your age when you lose all or some of your teeth. Dentures can help fill out the appearance of your face. They can be made to closely resemble your natural teeth so that your appearance does not change much. Dentures can even improve the look of your smile.

How To Preserve Dentures

Dentures should be removed before sleeping to avoid damage to them, and also to give your gums some time to relax.

 

CROWN

A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap that is placed over a tooth, to cover the affected tooth to restore its strength, shape and size, and to enhance its appeal/appearance.

The crowns, when cemented into place, fully encase the entire visible portion of a tooth that lies at and above the gum line.

Types of crown include stainless steel, metals, Porcelain-fused-to-metals, All-resin, and All-ceramic or All-porcelain

Why You Need Dental Crown

·        To protect a weak or decaying tooth from breaking or to hold together parts of a cracked tooth

·        To restore an already broken tooth or a tooth that has been severely worn down

·        To cover and support a tooth with a large filling when there is not a lot of tooth left

·        To hold a dental bridge in place

·        To cover misshaped or severely discoloured teeth

·        To cover a dental implant

·        To make a cosmetic modification

·        A crown may be used on primary baby teeth of children in order to protect the teeth at high risk for tooth decay, especially when a child has difficulty keeping up with daily oral hygiene.

 

BRIDGE

A dental bridge is a fabricated or false tooth that is held in place by the abutment teeth on either side of the gap. The bridge is used to replace a missing permanent tooth, to provide an ample chewing surface, and to aesthetically replace missing teeth.

If you have missing teeth, your dentist can close/bridge the gaps in your smile with dental bridges.

The four main types of dental bridges are: traditional, cantilever, maryland, and implant-supported bridges. 

The bridge is used to replace missing permanent teeth, to provide an ample chewing surface, and to aesthetically replace  missing  teeth.

 

Benefits of Bridges

Dental bridges can be beneficial in several ways including;

  • To restore a natural look to someone’s smile;
  • To repair the ability to speak normally;
  • To maintain the normal facial structure (by preventing bone loss from the jaw at the site of the missing tooth/teeth);
  • To repair the ability to chew food effortlessly and efficiently;
  • To prevent adjacent teeth from moving (A gap in the teeth that involves a missing tooth can lead to a shift in the position of the adjacent teeth. This can cause problems with the bite, and result in other complications.)
Location: Zoe Dental, No. 3 Nii Narh Close, Accra, Ghana

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