If you’re missing teeth in your upper jaw, especially if they’re toward the front of your mouth, you may feel self-conscious about smiling, speaking, or otherwise opening your mouth in public. If you’re missing many teeth, this insecurity is higher. Thankfully, there are many options available for people who wish to replace their upper teeth with new teeth that will restore their smile and their quality of life. Dentures are a common dental restoration that can replace multiple missing teeth within a relatively brief time frame, but they can be uncomfortable and inconvenient, and some of the other upper false teeth options may be more suitable for each patient’s specific clinical needs, preference, and budget. These options range from removable partial dentures, which can affordably replace one or two missing teeth but need to be removed for cleaning and eating, to dental implants, which support natural-looking, long-lasting dental restorations but which can be daunting because they require surgery and because treatment takes a long time. In between these two choices lies a number of options that may appeal to you, so talk to your dentist once you’ve learned the basics to see what might work for you.
Before an implant dentist can determine your best course of treatment for replacing your teeth, they’ll evaluate the health of your remaining teeth, your gums, and the bone in your jaw, and they’ll review your medical history. Dental implants are a popular and widely praised alternative to conventional dentures, and if you’re interested in dental implants, you may need additional treatments before dental implant surgery can safely happen. Dental implants are tiny cylindrical posts that are surgically implanted into the jaw, where they heal for several months as the bone fuses to them. This process is called osseointegration and is a crucial part of the success of the dental implant. The connection of implant post and bone creates a long-lasting, secure anchor for a dental restoration and continuously stimulates the bone, helping to keep it strong and healthy. After the bone has fully healed, your dentist will pull back the gum tissue to expose the top of the implant and affix an attachment apparatus to the implant. After the gum tissue heals around this attachment, the dental crown, which is the artificial tooth itself, is attached to the abutment, and the restoration is complete. When they are cared for properly, dental implants can last a lifetime, providing their wearers with comfort and security while performing day-to-day tasks like eating and talking. Because they can only be removed by a dentist, dental implants can be conveniently cleaned by brushing and flossing regularly and seeing the dentist for professional cleanings and checkups. Dental implants may be most appropriate for people who are missing one tooth or just a couple of teeth, as each implant supports a single dental crown, and they can be custom-crafted to match the natural teeth in luster and hue, restoring the aesthetic region of the mouth and improving the smile.
If you’ve lost multiple teeth, overdentures can be a good alternative to conventional removable dentures. Removable dentures sit on top of the gum tissue and are held in place with unpleasant and uncomfortable adhesives. Overdentures are stabilized by dental implants or by strong natural teeth, holding them securely in place. This security makes overdentures an appealing option for many people. Overdentures that rely on dental implants provide the added benefit of stimulating the bone that supports them, which helps maintain the shape of the jaw and the appearance of the lower face; removable dentures, on the other hand, put pressure on the jaw and accelerate the bone-reabsorption process that begins when there is no tooth root present to stimulate the bone. Some people prefer removable overdentures, or snap-in dentures. The technology is the same for these, except that the actual dental prosthetic, a row of artificial teeth, is fitted with an attachment that snaps the row of teeth onto the complementary attachments on the tops of the implants. Patients can remove their snap-in dentures and reinsert them as desired while reaping the benefits of dental implants.
If you’re only missing a single tooth, your dentist might recommend a dental bridge. A dental bridge is a prosthetic tooth that is held in place by the teeth adjacent to the missing tooth. Dental bridges can also be supported by dental implants on either side and could be an efficient way to use fewer implants to support more artificial teeth. When the natural teeth are present, to prepare these adjacent teeth for a dental bridge, the dentist must file down the teeth so that they can support dental crowns, which are necessary to firmly secure the dental bridge. This is the only real drawback to dental bridges, which can otherwise provide patients with a secure, natural-looking replacement for a missing upper tooth.
If you’re interested in a replacement option for missing teeth and none of the above options appeal to you, you may want to investigate the variety of removable dental restorations that exist. If you remember your grandparent’s dentures you might think that’s all there is, but there are other removable denture options. Partial dentures can be used to replace a few natural teeth and are supported by an acrylic base, kind of like a retainer, and a metal appliance. These are removable and should be removed when eating; while in the mouth, they help support the position of the adjacent teeth and discourage the migration of teeth that can happen when teeth are missing. Removable complete dentures also vary. Economy dentures are generic dentures that aren’t designed to fit individual people and require adhesive to hold them in the mouth. While these provide some benefit, they look artificial and tend to be both uncomfortable and unstable. Custom dentures are crafted by dental technicians and are designed to fit each patient’s mouth. The artificial teeth themselves are made of higher quality material, which increases their aesthetic appeal, and, because the denture is based on measurements of the oral cavity and dentition, they’re more comfortable and secure than lower quality dentures.