So…
I used to be an amateur boxer when I was younger. I was good. Rarely got hit. But for those few times that I did, they were some hard hits. One hit resulted in me losing two of my teeth. The missing teeth were in the back of my mouth, so I didn’t do anything about the situation really. Especially since there was a chance they would just get knocked out again. Anyway, that was years ago. Now I’m getting married, and my future wife would like me to get implants to replace the missing teeth. When I went to see the dentist about it, she said she recommended my getting a bridge instead because there isn’t enough space in my mouth to insert two teeth. I don’t understand why there isn’t enough space. Should I seek a second opinion here, or is there a good explanation for this.
Thanks for your help,
Ben K., Patterson, NJ
Hi Ben,
It’s always good to seek out a second opinion, especially if you have questions about a certain procedure and your dentist isn’t properly explaining to you why you need to have it.
Okay, so let’s address why you might not have enough space for in your mouth for dental implants. When a tooth is gone from the mouth, the other teeth slowly shift to fill in the empty spaces left behind. The longer a person goes without filling the holes, the more the other teeth shift. Because you’ve had missing teeth for years, your teeth likely shifted around a lot.
That’s not to say that your only option for replacing your teeth is with a bridge; maybe that’s just all your dentist is comfortable doing. There are some pretty popular products on the market that could work for you if done by the right dentist. Mini implants are smaller than traditional implants, and a dentist might be able to fill up your missing teeth with these.
Find a cosmetic dentist who is comfortable doing this, however; better yet, see if you can find one who has done it. The more they’ve done this type of dental work the better. You don’t want to find someone who’s going to be experimenting with unfamiliar procedures for her or him in your mouth.
Get a second opinion. Make certain your smile is great for your wedding.
Hope this helps!
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