Your Guide to the Best Teeth Replacement Options in Florida

Studies have shown that older adults who have a full set of teeth are more likely to make it to 100 years old than those with missing teeth. Several other studies show that people with missing teeth are much more likely to suffer from a myriad of health problems. There is a statistically significant health benefit for replacing missing teeth. Losing teeth is a terrible life-changing event that impacts practically every aspect of daily life, from eating and speaking to smiling for a photo. Around 178 million Americans are missing one or more teeth, with people aged 65 and older being the most susceptible. If we estimate based on available statistics, that means approximately 11 million people who live in Florida are missing at least one tooth, and around 3 million Floridians are missing all their teeth.

For most people, replacing a missing tooth is much more than a cosmetic improvement. It is a big deal and a life-altering event that can restore their ability to bite, chew, speak, and smile normally. In many cases, missing teeth cause structural and cosmetic issues seemingly unrelated to the initial injury or disease that caused the tooth loss. With the right tooth replacement option, these issues can also be fixed.

Continue reading to learn about different teeth replacement options, including the pros and cons of each treatment. We want to help you replace your missing teeth so you can get back to healthy and doing the things you love with confidence.

What Causes Missing Teeth?

The most common reason for missing teeth is tooth decay “Cavities” and gum disease. Cavities are usually caused by a buildup of bacteria, which feeds on sugars and other food debris to produce acid that wears and eats away the protective enamel surface of our teeth. Unfortunately, our typical American diet does not lead to strong and healthy teeth. Almost everything we eat nowadays is full of artificial ingredients or sugars that are very damaging to our teeth.

If cavities are caught early, dentists can treat them with dental fillings. Cavities remain 'painless' until they reach and infect the tooth's nerve. When a severe toothache develops, the affected tooth usually requires a root canal to remove the cavity and the nerve, provided there is enough tooth structure remaining after the cavity is removed by the dentist. If there is not enough tooth as often is the case, then the infected tooth is removed by extraction. many patients delay treatment, eventually needing to get the tooth extracted. If you have ever suffered from a decayed and damaged tooth, then you can understand why so many people just want to get it removed as quickly as possible to stop the pain, even if they can’t get a bridge or implant at that time.

Studies show that approximately 50% of the adult population in the US have various degrees of gum disease and gum inflammation. Like cavities, gum disease is usually “Painless” until it is not and In many cases, the source of the decay is not in the tooth itself but in the surrounding gums. Gum disease or periodontitis can happen in tandem with tooth decay or as an independent issue caused by the same bacteria that destroy tooth enamel. As the gums become infected, they appear red, swollen, and tender. This can be even worse than an isolated rotten tooth. You have probably heard of gingivitis, which is how it starts. If it progresses and you end up with advanced periodontal gum disease, then you are at risk of losing your teeth.

If caught early enough, deep cleanings can potentially stop the spread of the infection, but in many cases, the inflammation and deterioration spread to the teeth, making it necessary to extract them.

While decay and gum disease are the most common causes of missing teeth, especially in older patients, other causes include:

• Oral injuries, such as those sustained in contact sports
• Chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, or osteoporosis
• Nutritional deficiencies, especially low Calcium, Vitamin D, and Vitamin A
• Bad habits, such as opening bottle caps with your teeth or chewing on ice
• Certain genetic conditions

Regardless of the cause, living with missing teeth can start causing chronic issues much sooner than many people realize. If you are missing one or more teeth, give us a call as soon as you can to learn about the teeth replacement options that make sense in your situation.

Living with Missing Teeth

People who live with missing teeth experience many complications, such as a loss of biting and chewing abilities, nagging pain, and a loss of confidence in their smiles. However, there are also many long-term consequences of tooth loss that most people do not realize.

Many of the patients we see at our specialty practice have lost teeth in the past without realizing the chain reaction of problems they have caused by delaying treatment. Some of the issues that you might experience when missing teeth go untreated include:

• Bone loss and degradation: Your Bone literally “MELTS” away. Bone degradation occurs rapidly, with 25% of bone loss happening within the first year after losing a tooth. This can lead to the bone melting away in the jaw and surrounding structures. Normal biting and chewing with a full mouth of teeth keeps your jawbone strong and healthy, but once a tooth is missing, this natural process is interrupted and the melting of your jaw begins.
• Chronic pain: Living with tooth loss often results in chronic pain seemingly unrelated to the tooth itself. Jaw pain, facial tingling, face pain, and TMJ (temporomandibular joint) pain are common consequences of bite changes from of living with missing and bad teeth.
• Malocclusion: “Bad Bite” from missing teeth causes shifting. Malocclusions are tooth alignment issues that often present as crowding, uneven spacing, or improper bite closure. While malocclusion is often genetic, losing one or more teeth can cause teeth to become crooked, crowded, or misaligned as they naturally shift into the space left by the missing teeth.
• Appearance changes: Due to bone loss, many patients living with missing teeth develop a sunken facial appearance commonly associated with aging. However, this appearance change is not a natural result of aging. It is simply a common side effect of bone structure shrinkage related to prolonged tooth loss, which is most common in elderly people. Read our other article, Aging, Bone Loss, and How Dental Implants Can Help, to understand more about bone loss and appearance changes.

Teeth Replacement Options

There are three primary treatment options to replace teeth using modern dental technology: dentures, dental bridges, and dental implants. Each includes sub-types, such as fixed and removable, and pros and cons that you need to understand when contemplating which treatment to choose.

Replace Your Missing Teeth with Dentures

George Washington wore them, and not much has changed in 300+ years with dentures. Dentures can be permanent or fixed, but when most people speak of “dentures,” they are referring to the traditional removable dentures that have to be held in with glue. These removable teeth sit on the gums through suction or some kind of dental adhesive such as Polident or Poligrip. Dentures are the most affordable teeth replacement option since a full set usually costs less than a single high-quality implant, but they also have the most complaints.

When a patient has some natural teeth left, a partial denture can be an affordable option. Partial dentures are made with a pink plastic base attached to two metal pieces that hold the denture in place. These dentures are convenient, and you can remove them whenever you want, but they can be very uncomfortable, and many times, the patient never gets used to wearing them.

While full and partial dentures are the most affordable and provide cosmetic relief, there are several disadvantages to choosing dentures as a teeth replacement option, including:

• Discomfort: Dentures are bulky and can feel out of place in your mouth compared to more custom-fitted options.
• Slippage: Dentures are prone to slipping and falling out, especially while eating, which can be uncomfortable and embarrassing.
• Bone loss - “MELT Bone”: While dentures cosmetically replace teeth, they cannot replace healthy tooth roots. Without the stimulation they provide, patients can experience new or worsening bone loss in their jaw and face.
• Aging: Due to bone degradation, people living with untreated tooth loss can develop a sunken appearance that makes them look older than they are.
• Taste: Dentures cover your taste buds, eliminating the joy of your favorite food. They also make it difficult to swallow and chew food.

Some dentures are called implant-supported or hybrid dentures, which means the teeth are attached to or anchored to dental implants. These types of treatments fall under the “dental implant” category and will be discussed below.

Replace Your Missing Teeth with Dental Bridges

Dental bridges replace one or more missing teeth with an artificial tooth (crown) that anchors to the two remaining teeth on each side. These teeth, called the “abutment teeth,” need to be crowned to hold the bridge in place. Once secured, a fixed bridge provides a natural-looking replacement for a missing tooth. The biggest problem with a traditional dental bridge is that the two perfectly healthy neighboring teeth have to be shaved down and capped to anchor the new tooth (crown). We always advocate that our patients should try and keep their healthy teeth and not shave them down just to fix one.

Unlike dentures, there’s no danger of the bridge slipping or falling out when you bite, chew, talk, and smile. Dental bridges come in several types depending on the situation, including:

• Traditional: This type of bridge requires shaving down teeth to connect crowns on either side to hold the prosthesis in place. This type is used when the patient has healthy teeth surrounding the gap.
• Maryland: A Maryland bridge secures the appliance with metal wings in the place of crowns. These are usually indicated when the missing teeth are in the front.
• Cantilever: Cantilever bridges only have a crown at one end. This is indicated when one end of the gap has a prosthetic or unhealthy tooth.
• Implant-Supported Bridge: does not require shaving of natural good teeth and implants can replace entire upper and lower jaws for people who have lost or have a full mouth of bad teeth. These bridges are held in place by dental implants instead of crowns. They provide the most support of all four types.

Fixed dental bridges provide more support than dentures, especially when supported by implants. They allow dentists to replace one or more missing teeth when the surrounding teeth remain strong and healthy. This makes them a common treatment solution when the patient’s tooth loss is caused by an oral injury such as blunt trauma.

Replace Your Missing Teeth with Dental Implants

Dental implants are the best option for replacing missing teeth. For a single dental implant, there are three components, the implant screw (post), the artificial tooth (crown), and the abutment, which is what connects the crown to the implant screw. The crown mimics the natural look and feel of a real tooth and is made of durable materials like porcelain or zirconia. The implant screw nourishes the jawbone by mimicking the function of a real tooth root, making dental implants the only tooth replacement option that prevents bone loss and helps to maintain a young facial appearance.

While single-tooth implants can replace one tooth, multiple teeth can be replaced by an implant-supported bridge if your provider is experienced in full mouth dental implant procedures. These surgeries involve replacing multiple teeth, up to a full arch, using fewer implants as support for a dental bridge instead of replacing each tooth individually. All-On-4 Dental Implants are probably the most popular option for replacing an entire upper or lower row of teeth. This is where only four implants would permanently anchor a full set of natural-looking zirconia teeth. And with All-on-4 Implants or "Teeth-in-a-Day" as they are sometimes called, you will get a full set of temporary teeth while you wait on your final zirconia fixed bridge.

Another option for replacing an entire upper or lower set of missing teeth would be implant-supported dentures or snap-in dentures. This is similar to the All-on-4 option, but instead of being permanently fixed, the replacement teeth would come in and out of your mouth by snap into place with the four dental implants serving as the anchor. This option will still require the four dental implants, but the teeth will be removable by the patient.

How to Choose the Right Tooth Replacement Option

If you are missing just one tooth and go to your local general dentist, there is a good chance they will recommend a traditional dental bridge, where they shave down the two healthy adjacent teeth to attach the bridge to. If you can’t afford that, they will most likely recommend a partial denture. While getting any type of treatment is better than none, we highly recommend you do your research and check out dental implants. The cost of a single implant might not be that much more than a traditional dental bridge, but it will last much longer and cause fewer headaches down the road.

If you are missing multiple teeth or all of your teeth, then you have two primary treatment options. Either you opt for the more affordable ( “lower cost “option to begin with, but it will cost your health and much more time and money as you bone melts away)  removable dentures, or you get permanent dental implants. It's certainly understandable that many people can’t afford full-mouth dental implants and have to choose traditional dentures. But, if possible, we highly recommend you devote the time to researching jawbone loss and the complications caused by dentures. A lot of our patients have worn dentures for years while they save up for permanent full-mouth dental implants. Aside from normal cleanings, full-mouth dental implants can last a lifetime and keep your facial features looking healthy and young.

Visit the Best Teeth Replacement Dentist in Naples

At the Florida Dental Implant Institute, we are known as the go to dental specialist for tooth replacement pride ourselves on offering specialized tooth replacement options for patients of all physical and financial situations. Even patients who were deemed ineligible and told they could not have dental implants for implants at other clinics can often be treated by our board-certified dentists. We have decades of experience successfully reconstructing and replacing teeth with specialized procedures, and we work with patients providing affordable, lifetime solutions at all budget levels to find a plan that works for them.  

Contact us today to schedule a consultation and learn how we can help you find the right tooth replacement option for your needs. Serving all of South Florida, including Naples, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, and Marco Island, we’ll get you back to Healthy - to eating, speaking, and smiling normally in no time.