Teeth in a Day Alternatives
You don’t want to have a dental implant and are looking for an alternative? oral rehabilitation with dental implants can restore the smile, giving the person back one or more lost teeth, being a very safe procedure. However, this procedure may not be suitable for all cases. Let’s understand some reasons and learn about the available alternatives.
Types of dental prosthetics
A dental prosthesis is a fixed or movable prosthetic device used to fill gaps left by missing teeth. A mobile (removable) dental prosthesis may also be a more suitable indication for adolescents whose bones are still growing. There are a few types of dental bridges:
* Resin adhesive dental prosthesis
It consists of a prosthetic tooth with fins on both sides. The fins are fixed with resin to neighboring teeth, next to the space in the mouth. This type of bridge does not require the lateral teeth to be prepared or worn, in contrast to what occurs in a traditional bridge.
* Adhesive crown
Adhesive dental prosthesis can be used to replace a missing tooth. In general, this type of dental prosthesis is used as a temporary tooth during the healing of a dental implant.
* Fixed dental prosthesis on teeth
The fixed dental prosthesis is normally composed of three dental elements, the first and last being supported on teeth and the central element is the bridge that connects the two adjacent teeth, which fills the space left by the absence of a tooth. This type of porcelain dental bridge is considered more resistant than adhesive prostheses bonded with resin. One disadvantage of fixed dental prostheses is that they do not provide separation between the teeth and therefore do not allow cleaning with traditional dental floss. Another disadvantage is that the manufacture of a fixed dental prosthesis requires preparation (wear) of the lateral pillar teeth to support the bridge. Therefore, in the case of teeth neighboring the space that are healthy, this prosthesis is generally not used, and a conventional dental implant is better indicated, as the dental implant does not interfere with neighbors.
* Metal ceramic dental bridge
Fixed metal-ceramic dental prosthesis for 3 teeth. Note the structural metal (dark part) and the porcelain coating.
* Dental prosthesis with tooth suspended without support (cantilever)
Sometimes it is possible to make a fixed dental prosthesis for just one tooth, attached to just one neighboring tooth. In this way, the artificial tooth is suspended only on one side and uses the other natural tooth as support, that is, the tooth to be replaced will be suspended with support only on one side tooth. Making a fixed dental prosthesis on just one tooth, requires preparation of the adjacent abutment tooth and the attachment of the suspended tooth. This prosthesis solution with a suspended bridge is not recommended in all cases as having only one support can force and compromise the supporting tooth. There are two classic indications for this case: Upper central incisor tooth, with suspended lateral incisor / Upper or lower canine tooth, with suspended lateral incisor.
* Cantilever dental bridge
In a fixed prosthesis with a suspended bridge, a tooth serves as a support and needs to be worn down for this purpose.
Removable partial dentures
Removable dental prosthesis (RPD) is a resource to replace the lack of some teeth and is also considered a cheaper alternative to dental implant.
The fixation of the removable dental prosthesis can be done using metal clips or in the case of partial prosthesis flexible, there are no metal parts, which makes the prosthesis much more comfortable and aesthetic. Complete dentures (dentures) are necessary in the case when all teeth are missing. When we use dental implants, we can create a fixed denture.
As you can see, there are many alternatives to Teeth in a Day or traditional dental implants if you are contraindicated or unable to get implants. Please reach out to your dentist to discover your options for teeth replacement.