The jawbone is very unique because the roots of the teeth hold the bone to from your "ridge." Once a tooth is removed the body heals by forming a clot in the socket. The clot heals by contraction leading to the surrounding bone and gum tissue to shrink and melt away. Ultimately, the alveolar bone thins out and flattens. This process occurs quicker when the pressure from a denture is on the jawbone.
Before teeth are extracted you have options of preserving your jawbone. These procedures are best performed at the time the tooth is removed. All of your options for tooth replacement will rely on bone support and contour for function and esthetics.
Dental Implants
Because a dental implant will replace your tooth root, the bone is better preserved. Dental implants will integrate with the bone, helping keep your healthy jawbone intact.
Many times better cosmetics are achieved with implants. Implants are easier to keep clean than a bridge allowing flossing techniques like a natural tooth. Gums can recede around a bridge leaving a visible defect when the collar of the bridge becomes exposed. Resorbed bone beneath the bridge can lead to an unattractive smile. Additionally, the cement holding the bridge in place can wash out, allowing bacteria to decay the teeth that anchor the bridge.
Fixed Bridge
A dental bridge is a false tooth, known as a pontic, which is fused between two porcelain crowns to fill in the area left by a missing tooth. The two crowns holding it in place are attached onto your teeth on each side of the false tooth. This process requires cutting down the teeth on each side of the missing space. Statistically, this will increase the odds of a root canal by 20% on each of those teeth. If the bone is deficient, there will be an unsightly space underneath the pontic that will trap food and affect your speech. Fixed bridges cannot be taken out of your mouth as you might do with removable partial dentures.
Removable Alternatives
Other replacement alternatives include a removable partial denture (RPD). There are several types of RPD's. All of them use standard plastic denture teeth as replacements for the missing natural teeth. The differences between them are the materials that are used to support the denture teeth and retain the RPD in the mouth. These often perform better with more supporting bone as there additional support against dislodgment.
