How Would a Dentist Replace His Own Missing Tooth?

There are many ways to replace missing teeth. Some ways are as old as the Egyptian civilization. Archeologist have found remains in Egypt dating back thousands of years which displayed evidence of dental restorative techniques very similar to the modern day dental bridge. There are many kinds of bridges too. Some are removable some are fixed. Some are cemented, some are bonded, and of those…some are swallowed! But if you want to find out the best way to replace a missing tooth all you have to do is ask a dentist what technique he would prefer to have a missing tooth replaced in his own mouth.

Far and away the preferred method by dentists for replacement of a tooth is the dental implant. Dental implants have been in use for over forty years. They are one of the most researched treatment options and have an exceptional track record. They offer some very key advantages over the dental bridge. The implant allows each tooth to be separate from the others. Bridges typically anchor onto the teeth adjacent to the missing tooth. This means that all those teeth and the missing tooth are one piece. This makes flossing almost impossible and hygiene suffers. Also when a tooth is missing the jaw bone "melts away" over time in the area of the missing root. This wasting of the bone creates a gap between the bridge and the gum which causes an annoying food trap and a focus for gum infections.