Replace Missing Teeth

It doesn’t matter whether you were born without a particular permanent tooth or if you lost one or more from decay or injuries – the important thing is that you understand the necessity in replacing permanent teeth. Leaving teeth un-replaced can create worse dental problems and inhibit your ability to chew food properly. If you have ever noticed, people who are missing teeth – they also tend to look much older and can be very self-conscious of their smile, which hinders them in working and personal relationships.

Here are a list of dental problems which can be caused by not replacing one or more missing teeth:

• Adjacent teeth (fall over) start growing side-ways and may also need to be removed.
• Teeth above or below the empty space can grow too far up or down, causing those teeth to need removal.
• The drifting and continued growth of the remaining teeth can cause problems in the way your teeth bite together, causing jaw problems and headaches.
• The changing in spacing between teeth, due to drifting teeth, can trap food and make home care more difficult causing or worsening gum disease and thus potentially lead to the loss of more teeth.

If you are missing one or multiple teeth, our dentist can provide you with a variety of restorative options for replacement, including:

• Dental bridges
• Dental implants
• Dentures

For more detailed information about the above replacement options, we encourage you to visit those pages of our website, below are brief descriptions of each and a short video that covers replacement options.

A dental bridge is a permanently cemented restoration which uses the teeth on both sides of the space to support the “dummy” tooth or teeth. A bridge is basically like multiple crowns (caps) attached together, except the crown(s) replacing the missing tooth/teeth is solid. Bridges look like your other teeth once they are cemented into place and function just like your natural teeth.

Dental implants are a replacement for the root of a tooth, so that another restoration can then be placed over the implant – like a crown, a bridge or even a denture. The implant is made of titanium and it is surgically placed in the bone, where the tooth root(s) once were. Once an implant has healed, then a crown or other restoration can be made to fit over it. Implants are also a permanent replacement option. Once in place with a restoration attached, your replacement teeth have the same function and look as your natural teeth. A single implant can support a crown to replace a single missing tooth. If you need a bridge or denture to replace multiple missing teeth, then you will need 2 or more implants for these restorations.

Dentures are removable and can be made to replace all the teeth in an arch (full dentures) or just some of the teeth (partial dentures). Custom dentures, which are the type made in our office, take a number of visits to complete. The fit and look of the completed custom dentures are far superior to the frequently promoted, “dentures in a day” or the low cost dentures which are often seen on billboards. Also at Seaman Family Dentistry you can choose from traditional dentures or secured dentures. Secured dentures are explained in detail on our Dentures page.

The right dental treatment to replace your missing tooth or teeth will be based on many factors, including the number of missing teeth, the location of the space to be filled, the condition of remaining teeth, the absence or extent of gum disease and the health of the supporting bone. Many times financial concerns may also influence which method of replacement teeth you decided on. At Seaman Family Dentistry, you will always receive a financial consultation when new services are recommended so you can make a fully informed decision.

If you have missing teeth that need to be or will need to be replaced, we urge to call and schedule a complete examination with Dr. Robert Seaman in Lenexa, Ks, so he can discuss the best solution for your individual needs.