Missing teeth can have several consequences, not the least of which is causing your remaining teeth to shift out of
alignment. Over time this can cause serious orthodontic issues that make it more difficult to chew properly or clean
your teeth. Here at Willow Bend Orthodontics of Plano, Dr. Jones and Dr. Amerson have the
training to help correct all kinds of smiles – even those with a few gaps in them. If you’ve lost a few
teeth but are still interested in wearing braces, call Willow Bend Orthodontics of Plano
today;
we’ll help you take the steps to fully repair your smile.
Why Choose Willow Bend Orthodontics of Plano for Braces with Missing Teeth?
- Plano’s Only Female Board-Certified Orthodontist
- Family-Owned & Operated Orthodontic Office
- Dental Insurance Accepted, 0% In-House Financing
Can You Wear Braces with Missing Teeth?
It may sound odd, but it is in fact still possible to correct your smile with braces even if there are multiple
teeth
missing. In fact, sometimes when teeth are too crowded together for effective orthodontic treatment, an
orthodontist
might recommend an extraction to create the room needed for the rest of the smile to move into its proper
alignment.
It’s best to have missing teeth replaced as soon as possible with restorations such as bridges and dental
implants. You shouldn’t wait to long to get these appliances, as the longer you wait the more likely it is
your other teeth will shift out of place and suffer from additional wear and tear. You can still get braces even
after bridges and implants have been placed, although we’ll need to account for them while planning the
treatment.
Why Do People Have Missing Teeth?
There could be gaps in your smile if you’ve suffered significant trauma to the jaw or if you’ve
experienced advanced tooth decay and infection. Poor lifestyle habits like chewing tobacco and insufficient oral
hygiene can also lead to tooth loss. However, some smiles have gaps that were never filled in the first place
because the adult teeth didn’t erupt for one reason or another. Understanding why your smile is incomplete
is
key in figuring out the best way to repair it.
How Do Braces Help Repair Your Smile?
Teens and adults can both get braces with missing teeth. We’ll place them in a way that ensures that the
teeth
around the empty space are aligned properly; the goal is to make sure there’s room for a restoration to be
placed while making sure that there aren’t any gaps between the natural teeth. Braces can actually help
prepare for dental implants by making sure that there’s room for them to be inserted into the jaw, and
they
can help prevent many of the problems that are often associated with missing teeth.
For patients who have adult teeth that never erupted, we can take X-rays to determine if the teeth in question
are
stuck in the jawbone are missing altogether. If it’s the former issue, we can place your braces in a way
that
will ensure that the unerupted tooth is in proper alignment with the rest of the smile.
