False teeth have been around almost as long as civilization has existed. Dentures made of wolf’s teeth in 2500 BC were found in Mexico. The Etruscans in Italy fashioned partial dentures out of gold bands and animal or human teeth in 700 BC. In Egypt, two false teeth made of bone were found in an ancient tomb.
Though it might be awesome to have false teeth made of wolf’s teeth, today’s dental technology is far more advanced. If you have missing teeth or badly damaged teeth that may need to be pulled out, you have many aesthetically pleasing and functional options.
At Dental Town DC, in Washington, DC, we offer a full array of tooth restoration and replacement technologies, including crowns, bridges, and dentures. How do you decide which tooth-replacement method is best for you? Our dentists suggest you answer the following questions.
Do you have a full arch of missing teeth?
If you’re missing all of your teeth on one or both jaw arches, dentures are the simplest and least expensive solution. Dentures consist of false teeth set in a resin base that’s colored to match your gums.
You can choose to have removable dentures, which you take out each night to clean and soak, or fixed dentures. If you opt for fixed dentures, they’re attached to surgically implanted dental implants that hold them firmly in place. Fixed dentures are less likely to slip.
Do you have many missing teeth?
If you have a lot of missing teeth, but still have a few healthy teeth in your arch, you might benefit from either partial dentures or dental bridges. Partial dentures are best if you have more than one series of missing teeth. Our dentist custom-designs your dentures so that they leave spaces for your existing teeth.
You can also choose dental bridges, but these are best for one span of missing teeth. If you get a dental bridge, the dentist must grind a tooth on either side of the gap to hold the bridge in place. Having multiple bridges to cover your gaps would mean that multiple healthy teeth need to be reshaped.
Do you have one to several missing teeth in a row?
If you only have one gap of missing teeth on an arch, a dental bridge may be your best solution. Dental bridges get their name because the false teeth are held in place on the teeth that abut the gap (i.e., the abutment teeth), and then span the gap, like a bridge.
A dental bridge might be your best solution if you just have one to several missing teeth in a row. Dental bridges are secure because they’re attached to healthy teeth. The downside is that your dentist must permanently reshape those healthy teeth to accept the crowns that hold the bridge in place.
If both of your abutment teeth aren’t stable enough for crowns, our dentist may recommend another type of bridge. A cantilever bridge attaches to just one abutment tooth. A Maryland dental bridge wraps around the abutment teeth for stability.
Do you have severely damaged teeth?
If your teeth were damaged by decay or trauma, you may have resigned yourself to having them extracted and replaced. Not so fast! the dentist evaluates your damaged teeth to determine if they can be saved.
When enough of the structure is salvageable, the dentist may recommend against extraction. Instead, she repairs the damage with a dental crown or a combination of a root canal procedure and a dental crown.
If you need a root canal, our team makes sure you have enough anesthesia to remain pain-free during and after your procedure. the dentist opens the decayed or damaged tooth, cleans out the debris, and disinfects the tooth. She then fills it with a stabilizing substance and caps it with a crown.
Dental crowns are made of porcelain or composite materials and are shaped and colored to match the rest of your natural teeth. A dental crown replaces part of your natural crown, which is the part of the tooth that you can see above the gumline.
The dentist needs to reshape the tooth so that there’s enough space for the crown. If you have a damaged or broken tooth that doesn’t need a root canal procedure, she cleans the tooth, prepares the tooth, and restores it with a dental crown.
If you need a crown, bridge, or dentures, contact our office at Dental Town DC by calling our friendly staff or using our online scheduling tool today.