What Are Your Options If You Have A Gappy Smile?
Although for many years we’ve been successfully fitting dental implants in Richmond, we understand why when some patients experience an unfortunate gap in their smile due to a missing tooth or teeth, they choose other options.
For many people it’s a case of a quick-fix solution. They probably feel embarrassed and self-conscious and therefore really need their problem fixing right away. For this reason and the fact that it’s less costly than dental implants, many prefer to opt for a conventional bridge to solve their gappy problem. After all it doesn’t require surgery or indeed a lengthy fitting process, so what could be better? The issue is that a conventional bridge can cause further issues later on down the line. Let’s take a closer look.
A type of conventional dental bridge as we know it today has been around since the turn of the 20th century. Although it was considered pioneering back then it does have some fundamental flaws. For example, in order to attach the supporting framework, it needs the support of adjacent teeth either side of the gap. What’s more these teeth (which are presumably healthy) have to be ground down to take the bridging framework. Often this opens up the otherwise healthy teeth to a whole host of issues such as decay and cavities as well as placing excess stress on them. In other words, by solving one problem a conventional bridge may create many more. Therefore the money and time saved placing it, might backfire later on down the line.
So what are the alternatives?
If you want to protect your teeth in the long term then better choices are implant supported bridges or a single dental implant. In Richmond, our highly experienced team can discuss your options with you. As the name suggests for those with gaps of 2 or 3 teeth, implant supported bridges don’t rely on surrounding natural teeth for support. Instead the framework for the bridge is supported by a stand-alone implant which is anchored directly into the jaw bone of the first gap. From there the implant can support one or two crowns which plug the remaining gaps for a natural looking tooth replacement. Alternatively for those with a single gap, then an individual dental implant is a far better bet.
If you have a tooth loss emergency and need to get it fixed fast, then we won’t leave you with an embarrassing gap. Instead a dental implant or an implant retained bridge can be fitted the same day and a temporary crown fitted until your permanent one is ready. To book yourself an appointment contact Sheen Dental via our website at www.sheendentalimplants.co.uk or phone us directly on 020 8876 5277 today. Dental Implants in Richmond, really don’t get any better than this!