Q: What are my options for replacing missing teeth? A: By age seventeen, more than seven percent of Americans are missing at least one permanent tooth, according to studies done by the U.S. Surgeon General. When you lose a tooth, it is important to have it replaced because missing teeth can cause remaining teeth to shift thereby affecting your “bite” as well as your ability to speak and chew. Tooth loss can also cause increased strain on the remaining teeth and make them more susceptible wear, fracture, and mobility. Depending on the location of the missing tooth, your overall appearance can be negatively affected as can your self-esteem. Replacing a missing tooth usually is not an emergency situation. Typically, you have time to make an educated decision as to which replacement option is best for you. Following are the options that are available to replace one or more missing teeth: • A “Flipper” is a removable appliance made out of plastic which replaces one of several missing teeth. While it is inexpensive, it is also fragile and temporary. The Flipper must be removed on a daily basis to be cleaned. • A Partial Denture is also removable, and replaces one or more missing teeth, but lasts longer than a “flipper” because it is precision cast in metal rather than made solely of plastic. It is anchored to the existing teeth using metal clasps. Like the flipper, partial dentures must be removed on a daily basis to be cleaned. • A Fixed Bridge is a more permanent option than the flipper or partial denture. A fixed bridge literally bridges the gap created by one or more missing teeth. A bridge is made up of two crowns (for the teeth on each side of the gap) and a false tooth in between. Contrary to a flipper or partial denture, fixed bridges are permanently cemented in the mouth and cannot be removed. • Complete Dentures are the most commonly-used solutions for people who have lost all of their teeth in one or both jaws. The success of a complete denture depends upon your jaw size and shape, your oral habits, and your ability to adapt to the dentures. • Dental Implants can be used to provide support for the replacement of one or all of your teeth. They can provide artificial teeth that look natural and feel secure. Implants, however, are not a treatment option in every case. Implants are a surgical procedure; therefore, patients must be in good health, have healthy gums, have adequate bone to support the implant, and be committed to thorough oral hygiene and regular dental visits. The best way to describe a dental implant is to compare it to a real tooth. Real teeth consist of a root underneath the gum area and a crown on top. When you lose a tooth, you lose both the root and crown, causing a gap in your mouth. A dental implant is like having a new root made of titanium to replace the lost root of your natural tooth. A crown is made to fit on top of the implant perfectly, thereby creating a new “tooth” that looks and feels like a natural tooth. • Implant-Supported Denture - If you are missing all of your upper or lower teeth, implant-supported dentures are an attractive alternative to traditional dentures. Over time, traditional, removable dentures may begin to feel loose, can cause minor irritation or soreness, and can affect what you are able to eat. Because dentures often slip or shift, they can make it difficult to speak the way you used to. In contrast, implant-supported dentures can give you the stability and feeling of natural teeth and allow you to bite into foods that you would otherwise have had cut up had you been wearing traditional (non-implant-supported) dentures.