If you have missing teeth, not only are you worried about your smile, but also about how you should replace your teeth. To help you know which tooth replacement is best for you, here are some options we offer at Lakeway Center for Cosmetic and Family Dentistry:
- Dentures: The most traditional way to replace missing teeth is through receiving complete or partial dentures. Modern dentures are more natural looking than they used to be, and can even help you look younger as they give your cheeks shape and definition again. Dentures may make it harder to eat certain foods, and sometimes they might move around while you are eating or speaking, but they do give you a refreshed smile.
- Dental Implants: A popular new way to replace teeth is through dental implants. A dental implant acts as an anchor for a replacement tooth or a set of replacement teeth. Some prefer implants over dentures because they don’t affect your ability to eat or speak, and if they are properly cared for they last a lifetime. Dental implants do cost more, but many say they are worth the price.
- Crowns: Dental crowns are attached to an implant of a dental bridge to replace a missing tooth and restore the look of your smile. Dental crowns are constructed from a variety of materials: porcelain, metal alloys and porcelain fused with metal. Crowns are stable, do not irritate teeth or affect speech like dentures might and last for 10 to 15 years. It can be hard to clean the bridge and the teeth around it, but crowns are usually an affordable way to get a new smile.