Bad teeth or missing teeth can destroy your biting force. Losing the ability to eat without pain or hassle affects multiple aspects of your life. Our Warrenton VA, dental office has a few solutions to give you better chewing power — and more confidence in your smile.
Drs. Yung and Jelinek are trained in the latest techniques, and that means restoring your mouth or even replacing missing teeth. Our office can do this with crowns and bridges, dentures, or even dental implants. The right solution depends on your oral health situation, your goals, and your budget. During a consultation with our office, we can walk you through every available option and show you exactly what to expect from the procedures.
Call our Warrenton, VA dental office today at 540-386-1943 or fill out our online form to schedule a non-emergency appointment. In the meantime, let’s break down the three different ways we can restore function to your mouth.
Use crowns and bridges to restore mouth
Crowns and bridges have been used since the dawn of modern dentistry. The dental crown is placed over the top of the tooth — once the tooth is filed down. A dental crown is used for a number of reasons, including:
- Restoring tooth with heavy decay
- Covering up smile flaws like cracks, chips, or heavy stains
- Restoring a dental crown
- Correcting bite problems (like TMJ issues)
A dental bridge uses a series of crowns to fill the gap created by a missing tooth. This restoration is supported by the teeth adjacent to the missing tooth. This is one of the issues of getting a bridge. It requires us to file down healthy teeth. The good news is that with great care, bridges and crowns can last for years. We are using lifelike materials like porcelain and zirconia that are extremely natural looking and durable.
Dentures to replace missing teeth
Dentures are one of the oldest forms of tooth replacement. A denture relies on suction and fit to stay in the mouth, and many patients with dentures use adhesives to keep their appliance in place. We can craft a partial denture or full denture (that covers the entire arch), depending on your dental needs.
One of the issues with dentures is the functionality. Whenever you lose teeth, your jawbone will actually recede. This will happen to everyone who has missing teeth, and unfortunately, this change makes it difficult to find a good denture fit. As a result, dentures often slide around in the mouth or even create sores in the mouth from rubbing the gums.
Studies have found that people with dentures have only 25 to 50 percent of the biting force they had with natural teeth. This makes it nearly impossible to eat the food you love. People with removable dentures have trouble eating foods like apples, raw vegetables, nuts, and steak. If you have missing teeth and need an alternative that will nearly match the power of your natural teeth, then dentures might not be your best option. Luckily, we have another way to help: dental implants.
Restore biting force with dental implants
Dental implants are without question the strongest tooth replacement option used today in dentistry. Dental implants nearly match the power of natural teeth. Implants are not just strong, but they can be used to replace a single missing tooth or all of your teeth. Dental implants are made from titanium, a material that naturally fuses with bone. So, once the implant is placed into the bone, it literally becomes part of your body. The implant itself acts like the root of your tooth and can be restored with a crown, bridge, or full arches restorations like dentures.
One dental implants system that is helping patients without any remaining natural teeth is All-on-4 or All-on-6. The treatment concept is the same for both systems; the only difference is the number of implants used on each arch. What patients love about this system is that the final restorations resemble bridges more so than dentures, and these restorations are permanent. Once your permanent teeth are in place, they can only be removed by your dentist. You’ll be able to eat whatever you want again and smile with confidence. Patients with dental implants no longer have to worry about dental sores or having their teeth fly out of their mouth.
Find the right solution for your smile today
As you can see, there are many ways to correct your smile. We’d love to discuss your options and some of the pros and cons. Every person’s smile is different, and we’ll make sure we find a solution to restore your mouth and fulfill your smile goals. So give us a call today at 540-386-1943 to schedule your first consultation.
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