Bridges, implants, and denture

Do o you hide your smile because you are missing teeth? Is it hard for you to chew food? If you have problems because of missing teeth, see your dentist. Together, you can talk about choices that may help fi x your smile.

BRIDGES

Bridges are used when 1 or a few teeth are missing. They replace the missing tooth or teeth with false ones. A permanent or fi xed bridge is cemented onto specially prepared teeth on either side of the space. Sometimes, though, a removable bridge can be used. A removable bridge clips to the teeth on both sides of the space. You can put a removable bridge in and take it out yourself. Most of the time, a removable bridge has an acrylic base with metal clasps or a frame that is made of cast metal. Permanent o fixed bridges can be made from metal, ceramics, or a combination of the two. False teeth are mounted onto the base of a bridge to fil the space where the teeth are missing

IMPLANTS

 

Implants are metal tooth roots that are placed into the jawbone through minor surgery. The bone and gums grow around the implant to hold it in place. A single false tooth, called a crown, can be screwed onto a single implant. More tha 1 implant also can be placed. These implants can attach to a bridge or denture when mor  tha 1 tooth is missing. Implants are not meant to come out.

  

DENTURES

 

Full dentures (sometimes called falseteeth ) may be used to restore the smile when all natural teeth have been lost. The denture looks like a full set of teeth mounted onan acrylic base made to look like gums. Dentures can beheld in place with implants or by a seal that forms be-tween the denture base and the gums with saliva, alongwith the muscles of your cheeks and tongue. Sometimesadhesives (or denture creams) may be used to help holdthe denture in place