Tooth loss is a growing concern for middle aged individuals. Between the ages of 35 and 49, most adults are missing on average 7 teeth. It might be a shocker for most, but keep in mind some of those teeth are wisdom teeth. Even in that situation where those four are removed, that still leaves us with three teeth that adults in their prime lifetime are missing.
Of course we want tooth replacement options and in this day and age there are several options out there. That being said, the most appealing options out there is the dental implants. The thing is though is getting an implant can be expensive. Even getting a single implant is a serious investment for people.
As a result, we want to look at some other alternatives. These particular alternatives take into account other tooth replacement options you may have considered. If you want to save money, select one of those. Below we share some alternatives that you can slowly build up to as they incorporate the same solution you picked, but adding in implants little by little.
Tooth replacement options: Bridge/Partial Denture
One of the options for tooth replacement options is the bridge or partial dentures. This particular option is good in the event where you are missing two or more teeth that are next to each other. Of course this is very situational, however you can actually use implants for these and cut down the costs.
The idea behind bridges is that teeth on either side are supporting the tooth in the middle, held together and anchored by the implants.
When you go for this option you can use your existing teeth as the bridge, but in some situations you may not even need the support of your existing teeth. The reason why is that the bridge connects directly to the implant. The same thing applies to the partial denture as well which can also clamp down on the implants directly.
tooth replacement options: Overdentures
Overdentures are dentures, however they are different from the typical dentures. While dentures are a cheap alternative, they come with a riddle of problems. That being said, overdentures are a combination of dentures and implants. The second of these tooth replacement options is only fitting when a lot of your teeth in a particular arch are missing.
In order for you to get a overdenture you need to have enough space for four or 6 dental implants to be placed.
When you go with this option, the process involves placing usually two or more of those implants at a time. Many denture users prefer this particular option as they can still wear their full dentures while the implants are healing. Once all the dentures are in place, they can be clipped into the implants.
This is one of the good tooth replacement options to save up for since you can take your time with the implants. Furthermore because of how the dentures lock in place you won’t have to worry about apply sticky goop to keep them in place or even have them fall out. Of course you still have to remove them and clean them, but the implants remove a lot of the downsides of full dentures alone bring.
