By Dr. Bradley Jordan
Your tooth broke, it was painful, the dentist said it couldn’t be fixed and it had to be pulled. Now what?
That missing tooth, like a critical bolt missing from an engine, is a problem that may take months or years to show its face. Missing one or more teeth can lead to changes in bite, space between teeth resulting in food getting stuck and difficulty chewing and speaking. Every week I see patients that are starting to break front teeth because they have no back teeth to chew with. When back teeth are missing, the front teeth take all the force of chewing and start to wear down.
The great news is that we have modern solutions for missing teeth!
Quickly becoming the standard of care to replace teeth are dental implants. The process begins when a titanium post is placed to mimic the tooth root and is finished when the final crown is attached to the dental implant. Patients report that their dental implant looks, feels and works just like a natural tooth. A dental bridge is another simple tooth replacement option and can be utilized to replace 1 or 2 missing teeth. The process involves placing dental crowns on the teeth adjacent to the missing tooth with an artificial tooth in between. The adjacent teeth are effectively the anchors for the bridge.
For patients that are missing all of their teeth, the Teeth-in-a-Day procedure or also known as All-on-X is the preferred treatment plan. All-on-X refers to having all the replacement teeth anchored with X number of implants. That X number of implants can range from 4 to 8. While dentures can look nice and provide minimal chewing force, most people cannot tolerate a lower full denture due to how uncomfortable it is. When a patient leaves the office after having the Teeth-in-a-Day procedure, they take home a fixed set of teeth that look great and can provide some chewing ability. After healing and the final prosthetic is made, the patient is allowed to eat their favorite foods again and can laugh with confidence knowing that their teeth are not going to fly across the room.
Whether you’re replacing one missing tooth or restoring your entire mouth, there’s a solution to fit your lifestyle and goals. Take the first step toward a more comfortable smile by consulting your dentist today.
Dr. Bradley Jordan is the owner and dentist at Lone Oak Dental in Brookings, South Dakota. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and completed an Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency at the Audie L. Murphy VA Clinic in San Antonio, TX. He is happily married and has two teenage boys. Follow The Prairie Doc® at www.prairiedoc.org, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Tik Tok. Prairie Doc Programming includes On Call with the Prairie Doc®, a medical Q&A show (most Thursdays at 7pm on YouTube and streaming on Facebook), 2 podcasts, and a Radio program (on SDPB, Sundays at 6am and 1pm).