Missing Multiple Teeth

A removable partial denture is relatively quick to fabricate and fit, and the procedure is non-invasive. It is also the most cost-effective treatment if you are missing multiple teeth, and especially when these teeth are in different areas of the mouth and are not adjacent to each other.

A partial denture consists of a gum-colored acrylic base that is often strengthened with a lightweight metal alloy. Lifelike denture teeth are attached to the base. The denture will almost certainly have clasps that fit around existing teeth helping to hold it in place more securely.

Some partial dentures have special attachments designed to clip onto corresponding attachments in dental crowns fitted over natural teeth. These special attachments secure a partial denture firmly. Sometimes it is possible to add further teeth to a partial denture to accommodate future tooth loss.

While a cost-effective solution, removable partial dentures are not perfect. They lack the biting strength of real teeth, so certain foods are trickier to enjoy. Clasps fitted around natural teeth to support the denture can place these teeth under excessive strain, and partial dentures are not especially stable.

When natural teeth aren’t strong enough to support a conventional dental bridge or are missing entirely, a dental implant bridge is a good solution. Dental implants can be strategically positioned in the jawbone and are used to support multiple missing teeth. The implant bridge is permanently cemented or screwed onto the dental implants.

Often only a few dental implants are needed to support multiple missing teeth relatively cost-effectively. Another advantage of an implant bridge is that there is no need to adjust natural teeth. Instead, the implant bridge helps to share the forces created when you bite and chew food, protecting your existing teeth. The bone around the teeth implants also prevents bone resorption in the surrounding bone.