SRUTI
FOR YEARS, people have been under the impression that the removal of a tooth by a dentist is the climax of an action packed gruesome tale which first began with the toothache. Wake up guys, its just the intermissions! Extraction of a tooth is only about half the job, the significant rest being the replacement of the missing tooth. Its neither a passable issue nor a lucrative con game devised by the dentist. It's absolutely essential that a missing tooth be replaced for not one but several important reasons for better upkeep of oral health.
Consequence of not replacing a missing tooth
For one thing, it is a strange feeling; your tongue tends to explore the empty space, food stuffs get lodged and the biting capacity decreases.
Secondly, the neighboring teeth gradually drift towards each other closing the gap unevenly and in the process they become looseAlso, since that tooth opposing the missing tooth does not have a counterpart, it tends to move into the empty space over a period of time altering the bite.What to do to replace a missing tooth |
|
There are two options you could choose from. One is the removable type where the appliance is not fixed to any part of the tooth or gums. It can be removed and placed at will by the patient. It is considered convenient by some and hygienic by some others, the baseline being that its embarrassing. It certainly won't pop out of your mouth while talking or eating, but it could become loose and drift up and down although there have been in perfect order and have been worn for years with absolutely no problems. The appliance generally consists of an acrylic base which is seated on the palate or the inner aspect of the lower jaw, to which an acrylic tooth (or teeth) is attached replacing the missing tooth (or teeth).
A variation in this removable partial denture (or RPD as it is called) is the cast partial denture (CPD) where the base
is made of metal which being stronger and thinner is more comfortable and metal being a thermal conductor can absorb heat and make the user more receptive of hot food stuffs The CPD is preferred in cases where the back teeth have to be replaced; it consists of metal base on to which acrylic teeth are attached.
The other option is the fixed partial denture (FPD) where support from one or more neighboring teeth from one or more neighboringteeth from one or more neighboring teeth from both the sides are taken to replace |
|
the missing tooth/teeth which gives it the name bridge. The supporting teeth are called the abutments, which need to be strong to be able to carry the weight of the missing tooth/teeth (called the Pontiac) as well as bear the brunt of the biting forces. This is the most preferred manner of replacing missing teeth as once the bridge is fixed, you can forget about it. Its neither cumbersome nor embarrassing and is available in metal, ceramic or a combination.At the dental office
The making of a bridge is very similar to that of the dental crown. In the first appointment, the teeth and gum tissue in the concerned area are numbed, tooth structure of the abutments are adequately reduced and shaped to accommodate the dental crowns (which from part of the bridge) one them so that it is not oversized. An impression is taken and sent to the lab and the dental technician will fabricate the bridge.
For ceramic bridges, the shade that closely matches the neighboring teeth is selected with the help of a shade guide. The bridge is seated on the teeth with dental cement and adjustments are made by a dental tool to correct changes in the bite if any.
By tradition, we are nation that neglects our teeth, a renowned dentist has said. But there is no reason why we shouldn't be doing damage control. The popular adage 'Cross the bridge when you come to it' sure takes a beating in this case, as you should be bridging the gap, now!!
|
