What should I do if I have missing teeth or no teeth? How should I choose a dental implant?

Shi Rui, Baoding Fifth Hospital, Department of Stomatology

Our oral health is not only related to beauty, but also to our physical and mental health. When we neglect oral health for a long time, various problems will arise. For example, unreasonable eating habits and sudden injuries will have varying degrees of impact on oral health, causing our teeth to break and fall out. In this case, many people will choose to have dentures to restore beauty and chewing function. This article will introduce when dentures are the best choice, as well as common ways to have dentures.

1. Causes of tooth loss and its impact on the oral cavity

Tooth loss refers to the situation in which an adult has a total of 28 permanent teeth excluding the third molars. If the number of permanent teeth is less than 28, tooth loss is considered to exist. Causes of tooth loss include caries, periodontal disease, trauma, infection, congenital development and other factors. Tooth loss can have varying degrees of impact on the oral cavity. For example, tooth loss can cause the surrounding teeth to tilt or shift, which in turn leads to a decrease in chewing function and a serious impact on oral health. A decline in oral health can also affect the overall health interface of the body.

2. Do you need dentures?

1. Stability of teeth and adjacent teeth: The interaction between teeth is an important factor in maintaining oral stability. When a tooth is missing, the adjacent teeth will tilt or move, causing instability in the entire oral structure. If the missing tooth affects the stability of the adjacent teeth, then choosing a denture can restore the mutual support relationship between the teeth and maintain oral stability.

2. Bone protection and development: After the loss of teeth, the alveolar bone in the corresponding position will gradually shrink, resulting in a decrease in oral bone. If we want to protect and promote the growth of alveolar bone and avoid bone loss, then choosing implant dentures is a better choice.

3. How to set teeth

1. Removable dentures

A removable denture is a type of artificial tooth that can be removed from the mouth and is used when there is partial or complete tooth loss. It usually consists of artificial teeth and a denture base that supports the denture. This type of denture can be attached to the remaining natural teeth using hooks, clasps, or magnetic devices. The advantages of removable dentures include being relatively inexpensive and easy to clean and maintain, but the disadvantages are that they may put some pressure on the remaining natural teeth and need to be removed frequently for cleaning.

2. Fixed dentures (bridge crowns)

Fixed dentures are used to restore missing teeth by installing bridges or crowns on adjacent healthy teeth. This method can be used in cases where a single tooth or multiple consecutive teeth are missing. The bridge crown consists of artificial teeth and a supporting structure that connects them. It can be fixed on natural teeth. Compared with removable dentures, fixed dentures have better stability and chewing function restoration, but the adjacent healthy teeth need to be molared to support the denture.

3. Dental Implants

Dental implants are a type of tooth restoration that involves implanting an artificial tooth root into the jawbone and then attaching a restoration on top of it. This method is suitable for cases where a single tooth or multiple consecutive teeth are missing. Implants are made of titanium alloy and they fuse with the jawbone to provide a stable support for the restored tooth. Implants can restore chewing function and the appearance of natural teeth without causing damage to adjacent healthy teeth. However, dental implants require surgery and are expensive.

3. How to choose the right denture method

Here are some factors to consider to help you make the right choice:

1. Tooth loss: First, consider the number and location of missing teeth. For single or a small number of consecutive tooth loss, fixed dentures (bridges) are a better choice; for multiple or non-continuous tooth loss, dental implants or removable dentures are more suitable.

2. Health of alveolar bone: Dental implants require artificial tooth roots to be implanted into the jawbone, so the health of the alveolar bone is an important consideration in choosing dental implants. If the jawbone density is insufficient or there are problems such as periodontal disease, additional alveolar bone transplantation or periodontal treatment is required, which will increase the complexity and cost of treatment.

3. The health of the surrounding teeth: Fixed dentures (bridges) need to rely on the surrounding healthy teeth for support, so the health of these teeth should be considered. If the surrounding teeth have caries, periodontal disease or other problems, additional treatment or repair is required to ensure the stability of the fixed denture.

4. Oral hygiene habits: Removable dentures need to be removed from the mouth, so good oral hygiene habits and cleaning ability are required. If you can maintain good oral hygiene and clean and maintain your dentures regularly, removable dentures are an affordable and suitable choice.

IV. Summary

When choosing the right denture, you need to understand the advantages and disadvantages of various dentures and make a wise choice based on your actual situation. After the denture is placed, you also need to regularly maintain oral hygiene and maintain good oral health.