We have been involved in implant dentistry for over a decade and our dentist Andrew Jeffrey has been placing implants for over 8 years. Dental implants can be used to replace a single tooth missing or to fill bigger gaps. It is the most successful modern option for replacing missing teeth.
Dental Bridges
A fixed dental bridge is a non removable way of replacing a small number of missing teeth. It involves preparing the teeth next to the gap and cementing onto these a unit which involves artificial teeth in the middle to replace this gap. Due to the nature of the preparation on the teeth either side, this is only a good option if these teeth have been heavily restored or have crowns currently as we would like to be conservative with our approach and not trim away healthy tooth.
There is also another type of bridge called a Maryland bridge, this replaces a missing tooth with an artificial tooth with “wings” which are cemented to the back of the adjacent teeth. This requires very little and in some cases no preparation to the natural teeth, however these can sometimes be less successful depending on factors like a strong bite.
Dentures
Dentures are a removal appliance used to replace missing teeth. These can be made from either acrylic or metal plates made to fit to your mouth with the missing teeth attached. Dentures are a good solution for replacing teeth and also providing support of lips and cheeks after tooth loss. They can also be used as a temporary stage in the dental implant process or the denture can be supported by dental implants also.