Can you get braces if you have a missing tooth

Yes! We frequently encounter patients with missing teeth. In fact, according to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, adults between the ages of 20 and 64 have an average of 24.92 remaining teeth out of their original 32.

Why Do People Lose Teeth?

Tooth decay, tobacco products, genetics, or other oral health problems can result in missing teeth, which may cause alignment, speech, and bite issues. If a tooth is missing, surrounding teeth can shift and affect overall alignment, resulting in the need for orthodontic treatment.

Fry Orthodontic Specialists can help decide what, if any, restoration methods may be needed before beginning orthodontic care.

Types of Dental Restorations for Missing Teeth

There are several dental restorations available to replace missing teeth and improve your smile. If the missing tooth has not been restored, and teeth have shifted, we may need to make room in your mouth for the dental restoration.

• Dental implants – A dental implant is a metal post, which acts as the missing tooth root, surgically placed into the jaw bone to hold an artificial tooth or bridge, giving you the look of a real tooth.
• Crowns – A crown covers the tooth to restore its shape, size, and strength.
• Dental bridges – A bridge is a replacement tooth, or teeth, that fill the space where one or more teeth are missing

Braces and Missing Teeth

Your Fry orthodontist will make a recommendation for braces based on your health history and smile goals. We offer Invisalign, metal and ceramic braces. Braces not only correct alignment issues, maintain teeth structure, and improve your oral health, research also shows that a beautiful smile improves your self-esteem, enhances the quality of your relationships, and improves your success at school and work.

The Fry Team is committed to providing excellent orthodontic care. We’re happy to answer any questions you have and will work with your oral surgeon or dentist to meet your smile goals. Schedule a free consultation at one of our convenient office locations.

Living with missing teeth is hard. Add in the fact that an incomplete smile usually results in healthy, natural teeth shifting, and you’re probably wondering if you’ll ever achieve a beautiful aesthetic again. Fortunately, there is an orthodontic solution that can address this type of problem – braces. At Huntington Orthodontics, our team can take care of your smile and deliver long-lasting, life-changing results. Learn how our trained experts can help you feel more confident in your appearance by contacting us today to schedule an appointment.

Why Your Teeth are Missing

There are numerous reasons why your teeth are missing. From severe decay and gum disease to birth defects, serious facial trauma, and poor lifestyle habits like smoking, missing teeth can leave you feeling self-conscious and unsure of how to perform some of the most common daily functions (i.e., eating, speaking).

As a result, missing teeth can not only lower your self-esteem, but it can lead to bone loss and the potential for healthy remaining teeth to shift, falling out of alignment. This can cause you to need orthodontic treatment to avoid more serious problems like temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD), excessive wear and tear on your tooth enamel, chronic jaw pain, and additional tooth loss.

Is It Possible to Wear Braces and Have Missing Teeth?

Yes! Braces and missing teeth are a possibility, which should help you breathe a sigh of relief. During your initial consultation, your orthodontist will examine your smile and formulate a treatment plan that will ensure your teeth move into proper alignment.

If overcrowding is an issue, it may be necessary to extract an additional tooth (or teeth) to allow for your teeth to shift during treatment. If multiple teeth are missing, we may need to place a custom-made restoration to help fill in the gaps of your smile while your remaining teeth continue to move.

No matter how our team plans to repair and restore your smile, you can trust that we will work to establish a solution that works best for you. Seeking treatment sooner rather than later will help you avoid the potential for additional bite misalignment, which can result in jaw pain and the wearing of your natural tooth enamel.

How Can Braces Help Repair Your Smile?

To understand how braces can actually work to fix your smile, even with missing teeth, there are various ways your orthodontist can accomplish this task. First, it is important to note that no matter if you are a teenager or an adult, it is possible to be treated with traditional braces. Second, if you have teeth that have yet to erupt and/or a misaligned jaw, you may find braces to be a suitable and successful method of treatment. If you have a child whose baby teeth haven’t fallen out yet, an orthodontist can strategically place metal braces in a way that allows for these primary teeth to fall out before applying the bracket to an adult tooth that will eventually emerge.

Okay, but how can teeth move if there are gaps? If you look at your facial structure, the jawbone is designed to hold your teeth in place. When braces are applied, the jawbone allows for necessary movement to help shift your teeth into proper alignment. If a tooth is impacted or not fully erupted, metal brackets and wires can be put into place and positioned in a way to encourage that particular tooth to move into position, aligning with your fully erupted, healthy teeth.

The truth is that braces are an ideal way to safeguard the vacated sockets of your smile because your natural teeth will become more stable, preventing them from shifting to “fill in the gaps.” Once you are finished with treatment, it may be possible to inquire about a custom-made bridge or dental implant to complete the look of your smile.

If you’re unsure whether dental insurance will cover the cost of treatment, you’ll be pleased to know that most insurance companies do offer available coverage. However, if the remaining balance is too steep for your budget, you can set up a payment plan with a member of our team. Requiring no credit checks, you can enroll in a 0% interest plan with various repayment schedules.

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