Full Arch Tooth Replacement

Treatment options in Burton when a full arch of teeth is lost

Losing a tooth or two is relatively common as we get older. Replacing these is usually done using a partial denture, a bridge or an individual dental implant. What happens though when a full arch of teeth are lost?  Although this is less common than the loss of individual teeth, it does happen. This can be through general and lengthy neglect of teeth, severe gum disease, side effects of medical treatment or genetics. Whatever the cause though, it can have a major impact on the life of the person who suffers from this.

Restoration of your smile is possible even when this happens. Losing a full arch of teeth is not only devastating for the way that you look, but will also affect how and what you can eat and very likely your speech too. If this happens to you then, what are the options available for our Burton patients that we are able to provide at Mike Allen’s Dental Practice.

Dental bridge?

This is one that we have to rule out. Although bridges can be used for individual tooth replacement or where a few teeth are missing, they can’t be used for full arch tooth loss as there are no teeth available to attach the crowns that hold the replacement tooth/teeth in place to.

Dentures

The most obvious initial conclusion for anyone that loses a full arch of teeth is that they will be forced to wear dentures for the rest of their life. It is true that these do offer a viable solution but they are not without their compromises. Dentures now look more realistic with the ‘artificial gum’ colour made to match the natural colour of your gums. The teeth too can look realistic, but unfortunately not everyone finds them to be comfortable or practical, especially when they are eating.

The only way to ‘secure’ dentures in the traditional way is for them to fit securely against the gums, causing some suction to help keep them in place. Many wearers also use a special denture adhesive which helps this even more. Even then though, dentures are not always as secure and stable as they could be and can still become loose, especially under strain.

Most full arch denture wearers are quite careful about what they eat. For example, eating softer foods means that there is less ‘pull’ against the dentures when you chew, unlike with something which is more difficult to chew and may cause the dentures to pull away a little from the gums. Although this often just makes it feel strange, it can, on occasion, pull the dentures away from the gums, causing them to move around in the mouth, sometimes significantly. As with those moments when you say something embarrassing, just at the same time as the rest of the room goes quiet, many denture wearers will tell you that their dentures came horribly loose at just the wrong time, often causing embarrassment.

There is one option available for those who want to wear dentures but in a more secure manner and that is by stabilising them using dental implants. This can be done in a very similar manner to our next option.

Same day teeth (‘all on 4’)

Perhaps the best way to provide a replacement full arch of teeth so that they offer a high level of strength and security is using a procedure known as ‘teeth in a day’ or an ‘all on 4’. This involves the use of dental implants, but not by replacing each missing tooth individually, but by using the implants as ‘anchors’ on which to attach a set of artificial teeth.

Usually, this procedure involves the placing of four, or sometimes six dental implants into strategic positions in the jawbone. Four of these, towards the front part of the mouth, are regular dental implants, whereas the two towards the rear of the mouth are specially designed to be placed into the bone at an angle. This provides the additional stability that allows the replacement teeth to be attached at the same time, without requiring a longer delay between placement and adding the replacement tooth, as is the case with individual implants.

Whilst dentures can be attached in this way, it is more common to use a fixed bridge of artificial teeth which are attached to the implants which then act in a similar manner to a natural tooth root. The strategic placing of these implants also helps to reduce the risk of bone loss in the jaw which naturally occurs when you lose a tooth. This can result in changes to the shape of your face which can make you appear to be older than you are. Providing that you take care of your implants and your gum health in general, you might expect them to last for twenty years or more with little or no intervention from your dentist, beyond the need for your usual check ups and hygienist visits.

There is little doubt that the consequences of losing a full arch of teeth can be devastating, and we naturally hope that this doesn’t happen to any of our Burton patients, whether young or older. If you do find yourself in this situation though, remember that there are treatments that can help you. For this, or any other reason related to oral care, please feel free to pick up the phone and give Mike Allen’s Dental Practice a call on 01283 845345.