Can You Replace a Missing Tooth?

Your teeth work hard to bite and chew, and a missing tooth can disrupt how well your jaw functions. Several things can cause a missing adult tooth, such as injury, trauma, gum disease, or tooth decay.

With advances in dentistry, professionals have several treatment options available, whether you’re missing a molar or your front tooth is lost. Regardless of how you lose your tooth, implants and dentures can reconstruct the look and function of your original teeth.

Causes of Missing Teeth

Every child loses their teeth to allow adult teeth to grow, leaving your mouth with 32 permanent teeth. A wide range of health issues can cause you to lose one or more of your adult teeth, including:

  • Genetics, which can cause congenital missing teeth

  • Gum disease

  • Injury from sports, falls, car accidents, or other trauma

Risk Factors for Tooth Loss

Other risk factors and dental health conditions can lead to lost teeth, such as:

  • Tooth decay related to cavities

  • Poor nutrition

  • Poor dental hygiene

  • Smoking

Tooth loss is also significantly higher in those with chronic health conditions, including:

  • Diabetes (when your body struggles to regulate sugar)

  • Heart disease

  • Liver problems

  • Rheumatoid arthritis 

  • Stroke

  • Emphysema (lung disease)

Effect of Missing Teeth

Your teeth work much harder than you may think, and a missing tooth can impact your oral health. If you're missing a tooth, the remaining teeth will try to close the gap. Since your teeth stabilize each other, your remaining teeth can twist and turn, leading to irritated gums and tooth decay as you struggle to floss.

Your facial muscles can also be affected by missing teeth. Your jaw’s bite may change, altering the way you chew. If your remaining teeth overcompensate for the gap, you can experience tooth sensitivity and grinding. Missing teeth may increase your risk of developing further tooth loss from cavities or other dental issues.

How to Replace Missing Teeth

Dental professionals have several approaches to replacing missing teeth to reduce further dental issues and restore confidence in your smile.

Dental Implants

Implants work with the jawbone's structure. The process replaces the lost tooth and root with a titanium screw, topped with an artificial tooth. An implant is typically chosen when you're only missing a single tooth. However, your dentist will conduct an assessment to confirm the jawbone is strong enough to support the titanium root.

Surgically installing a dental implant is a multi-step process, beginning with dental imaging of the jaw to confirm it can support the titanium root. Your dentist will make an incision and fastens the titanium screw into your jaw with a temporary cap.

After a few weeks, the jaw bone will heal around the screw and become the new root. Once the screw is confidently secure, the temporary cap will be removed, and the porcelain crown will be applied, creating a new tooth.

Dentures

Dentures are automatically associated with lost teeth, but modern dentures are advancing for an authentic look and more comfortable fit. Dentures can be a practical option if you’re missing several teeth that need replacing. 

With a plastic base matching the gums and false teeth attached, dentures are a simple treatment option. Metal fasteners hold the dentures in place during wear and can be removed easily.

Dentures are less durable than implants or bridges because they require additional cleaning and handling as they’re removed and worn.

Dental Bridges

A dental bridge is an option if you're missing a few teeth in the same area. It will bridge the gap in your teeth. Bridges are secured over the gums of the missing teeth and are held in place by a titanium implant or surrounding healthy teeth.

Your dentist will first take a mould of your teeth, so the bridge fits perfectly. The crowns are then fixed to the teeth beside the missing tooth. The dentist has to grind down the healthy teeth surrounding the missing tooth or place an implant to anchor the bridge.

A bridge feels like natural teeth and doesn’t look like a prosthetic. Bridges are a customizable approach to filling the gap left behind by several missing teeth.

How to Prevent Tooth Loss

For most people, tooth loss is preventable. With a few lifestyle changes and oral habits, it’s possible to fight tooth decay and gum disease that can lead to missing teeth. To maintain good oral health, you should:

  • Brush with fluoride toothpaste after every meal

  • Floss every day

  • Rinse with mouthwash containing fluoride

  • Limit sugar and sticky food that clings to the enamel of the teeth

  • Schedule regular cleanings and dental exams

Oral health reflects your overall health, and good dental habits benefit more than just your teeth.

Schedule a Dental Cleaning to Fight Cavities and Gum Disease

Let our knowledgeable team give you a thorough dental cleaning and get tips on how to take care of your teeth at home. Book an appointment with our expert hygienists and dentists at Shine Dental for a confident smile.

Dental Implants, Tooth ReplacementJonathan WiebeShine Dental