Treatment options to suit your individual needs.
Replacement of missing teeth
Teeth may be lost due to trauma or dental disease. Missing teeth must be replaced to restore the aesthetics (appearance) and function during eating.
There are various options available for replacement of teeth.
Dentures are by far the cheapest and more easily available option when it comes to tooth replacement. Their only disadvantage is that they must be removed for cleaning and at night before you go to sleep.
Removable dentures can either be made to:
Dentures are made to look like the teeth and when well made, they will restore the appearance of the teeth.
Always remember to keep your mouth and dentures clean at all times to prevent food sticking onto them which can accelerate decay of the remaining teeth and expose you to disease of the denture bearing areas (denture induced candidiasis).
With good hygiene and care, dentures can serve you for many years.
Full coverage crowns are tooth caps used to replace heavily restored teeth especially after root canal treatment. Since they are permanent, they are more costly than removable dentures.
Crowns are usually made of metal onto which a porcelain layer is added to make them look like natural teeth. The porcelain layer is matched to the colour of the existing teeth.
Before a crown is made, the tooth is reduced slightly to allow for the seating of the crown. This modification done on the tooth is called the crown preparation and is usually done during the first visit.
After the crown preparation is completed a record (impression) is made and sent to the lab. Meanwhile a temporary crown will be cemented to protect the preparation until the permanent crown is ready
When the permanent crown is ready, it is cemented permanently onto the tooth preparation. You should be able to bite comfortably with the crown in place. Ask the dentist to make adjustments on the new crown if you feel any alterations in your bite.
When the crown is cemented in place, it should be able to serve you for many years. The dentist will recommend daily flossing to prevent food impaction between the crown and the neighbouring teeth.
Posts and crowns
For grossly decayed teeth, it may be necessary to place a post in the root treated tooth to support the crown.
Another fixed replacement option is a bridge. To replace a missing tooth, the artificial tooth (or teeth) to be replaced must obtain support on either side from the remaining healthy (or root treated) natural teeth.
Therefore crown preparation is made on teeth on either side of the missing tooth space (edentulous span).
As with the single crown, a temporary bridge will be provided before the permanent bridge is fabricated.
The permanent bridge will then be cemented in place.
The dentist will give you all the information on how to keep your teeth and bridge healthy for a long term results.
Our dentists at Neptune Dental clinic will help you make the best choice regarding replacement of your missing teeth.
Implants are “screws in bone” used to support an artificial tooth.
The implant is made of titanium and will not react with any parts of your body.
In addition, the implant has the ability to bond with bone (Osseo-integration) and become firm. This usually takes 3-6 months.
After the integration of the implant with bone has taken place, the artificial tooth is then attached to the implant. The advantage of using implant is that, unlike the bridge, the neighbouring teeth are not compromised.