Missing Teeth
By Dr. Linda Niessen -- Baylor College of Dentistry STORY: MISSING TEETH SCRIPT #514 SHOOT: 5/20/03 DHC MASTER #18 Timecode: 3:10
Monday, July 07, 2003
Your teeth work together like finely tuned gears that grind and chew. So losing a tooth can create serious problems. That is unless you fill the space. Your options are implants, fixed bridges, bonded bridges or dentures.
Al Schmidt chose implants and a bonded bridge, also called a Maryland bridge. “If you’ve got a good anchor, the Maryland bridge is the way to go. If you don’t have the anchor, you have to use dentures or go to the implants,” Schmidt said. “And I really don’t notice anything from when I had the real teeth,” he said.
Bonded or Maryland bridges use clasps that are bonded to the back of the teeth. “People who are scared to death of dentistry can come in and get their dental care taken care of and not fear it because it’s not going to be that uncomfortable with a bonded bridge,” Dr. T. Bob Davis said.
Georgette Zarafonetis also chose a bonded bridge. “It’s so easy. You don’t have to worry about it. That’s what I like about it,” Zarafonetis said.
A fixed bridge requires the adjoining teeth to be cut down so that crowns can be placed on top. When you are missing several teeth, you might choose a removable partial denture. For the most natural look and feel, ask your dentist about implants. Titanium posts are surgically implanted into the jawbone. Then the porcelain crown attaches the post or implant. “So you look at all of this with the patient in mind and you present options,” Davis said.
Talk to your dentist all your options: fixed and bonded bridges, removable partial dentures, and implants. For Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas A&M System, I'm Dr. Linda Niessen, Channel 8 News.
Dr. Linda Niessen, clinical professor in the Department of Restorative Sciences and the Office of Communications and Development at Baylor College of Dentistry, hosts Dental Health Check, the only weekly dental feature shot on location in the nation.
