Ask a Health Professional Each week health professionals give their educated opinions on relatable health questions. We believe that knowledge is power! 2012 10th Street 906-352-4100 www.lacannefamilydental.com LoCanne Dr. Tracy La Canne, DDS FANTLOENTAL Question: I'm missing a few teeth in the upper left and l'm wondering what my options are to replace those teeth? A When someone is missing is cemented to the anchoring teeth, so the a tooth there are usually 3 biggest advantage is it doesn't come in and out different options for replacing of your mouth. The cost is usually more then the first option we discussed but less than our 3rd option-implants. The few disadvantages are that they can be more difficult to clean under and around than natural teeth. You it. The first nd most economical solution is something that comes in and out of your mouth. Either a partial denture of a full denture if you happen to are also affecting those neighboring teeth, so usually if there is an issue with any of the teeth supporting the bridge the whole bridge be missing all of your teeth. The advantages of this type of replacement are that you can replace a lot of teeth with only one appliance, it's the least expensive option of the 3 we'll discuss, and it can be removed for cleaning opinion, the best option, is an implant. Kcep and repair. The disadvantages of a removable in mind, an implant is just basically an anchor appliance are that it can be embarrassing for that's placed into your bone. Onto this anchor some people to have teeth that come out. It also can be very difficult for some people to tolerate wearing these appliances. They're be placed. If you're missing multiple teeth you bulkier than natural teeth, usually move when talking or eating, and can collect more d and debris around them. For will be involved. The 3rd option and in most dentist's there are a lot of options for attachments. Ir you are only missing one tooth a crown can can use implants to make a bridge. You can use an implant to help anchor a removable appliance to make it move less. You can also use implants to replace all your teeth with a denture that DOESN'T come out at all! with a bad gag reflex it can be especially difficult to adjust. Think of it as trying to replace a missing leg or arm. It's something Unfortunately, the biggest disadvantage to implants in most people's mind is the cost. But the goal is to give you something that's as close to a new tooth as possible, so in the long run it's definitely worth it. The other main disadvantage is the time from start to finish. In most instances it's 3-4 months of bealing. In some cases, where there is an extensive amount of work that needs to be done the whole process can take over a year. Please make sure to discuss the option that you feel best fits your needs with your dentist. there, but it will always feel foreign. The second option for replacing missing teeth is a bridge. This is the option that is not ALWAYS an option because a bridge (just like a bridge you drive over) has to be able to attach to a tooth on cither side of a space. So, for example if you are missing all back teeth there is nothing to anchor the bridge in the back. Another deterrent is if there are too many missing teeth. A bridge is best used to replace only 1, maybe 2 teeth in the back. With front teeth we can usually extend it to a few more missing teeth. This replacement Ask a Health Professional Each week health professionals give their educated opinions on relatable health questions. We believe that knowledge is power! 2012 10th Street 906-352-4100 www.lacannefamilydental.com LoCanne Dr. Tracy La Canne, DDS FANTLOENTAL Question: I'm missing a few teeth in the upper left and l'm wondering what my options are to replace those teeth? A When someone is missing is cemented to the anchoring teeth, so the a tooth there are usually 3 biggest advantage is it doesn't come in and out different options for replacing of your mouth. The cost is usually more then the first option we discussed but less than our 3rd option-implants. The few disadvantages are that they can be more difficult to clean under and around than natural teeth. You it. The first nd most economical solution is something that comes in and out of your mouth. Either a partial denture of a full denture if you happen to are also affecting those neighboring teeth, so usually if there is an issue with any of the teeth supporting the bridge the whole bridge be missing all of your teeth. The advantages of this type of replacement are that you can replace a lot of teeth with only one appliance, it's the least expensive option of the 3 we'll discuss, and it can be removed for cleaning opinion, the best option, is an implant. Kcep and repair. The disadvantages of a removable in mind, an implant is just basically an anchor appliance are that it can be embarrassing for that's placed into your bone. Onto this anchor some people to have teeth that come out. It also can be very difficult for some people to tolerate wearing these appliances. They're be placed. If you're missing multiple teeth you bulkier than natural teeth, usually move when talking or eating, and can collect more d and debris around them. For will be involved. The 3rd option and in most dentist's there are a lot of options for attachments. Ir you are only missing one tooth a crown can can use implants to make a bridge. You can use an implant to help anchor a removable appliance to make it move less. You can also use implants to replace all your teeth with a denture that DOESN'T come out at all! with a bad gag reflex it can be especially difficult to adjust. Think of it as trying to replace a missing leg or arm. It's something Unfortunately, the biggest disadvantage to implants in most people's mind is the cost. But the goal is to give you something that's as close to a new tooth as possible, so in the long run it's definitely worth it. The other main disadvantage is the time from start to finish. In most instances it's 3-4 months of bealing. In some cases, where there is an extensive amount of work that needs to be done the whole process can take over a year. Please make sure to discuss the option that you feel best fits your needs with your dentist. there, but it will always feel foreign. The second option for replacing missing teeth is a bridge. This is the option that is not ALWAYS an option because a bridge (just like a bridge you drive over) has to be able to attach to a tooth on cither side of a space. So, for example if you are missing all back teeth there is nothing to anchor the bridge in the back. Another deterrent is if there are too many missing teeth. A bridge is best used to replace only 1, maybe 2 teeth in the back. With front teeth we can usually extend it to a few more missing teeth. This replacement