2 Potential Dental Treatments For Tooth Agenesis

Tooth agenesis refers to missing multiple teeth congenitally, meaning that the teeth never grew in the first place. The condition can cause bite issues and cosmetic concerns that might not be treated until adulthood.

What are some of the ways that a general dentist or cosmetic dentistry specialist can help with your tooth agenesis issues?

Dental Implant with Grafts

Jawbone and soft tissue health in the mouth are maintained with proper oral healthcare and the presence of natural teeth. The roots and lower bodies of natural teeth shift slightly, which helps generate bone and tissue growth and health. Congenitally missing teeth don't provide this benefit, so the bone and soft tissue in the area can suffer.

Dental implants are one of the only dental replacement options that can mimic a natural tooth's ability to generate bone and tissue health. Ironically, dental implants aren't viable in a mouth that doesn't have sufficient bone to fuse around the root or sufficient soft tissue to heal into place over the implant root. Luckily, graft procedures that exist that can correct these problems ahead of the dental implant procedure.

The grafts can use organic material from within your own mouth or donor material to fill in the weak areas. The bone or tissue is inserted into the weakened area and then allowed time to heal together with the existing bone or tissue. The dental implant root can then be inserted into the jawbone to begin the implant procedure.

Partial Dentures or Overdentures

Dental implants are good options for one or two missing teeth, but if you're near the upper end of the agenesis missing teeth range, you might find the costs too high for individual implant roots. But that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice the potential bone and gum benefits entirely.

Implant-supported partial dentures, also called overdentures, utilize two or more implant roots to stabilize a hard plate with multiple artificial teeth attached. There likely won't be an implant root in every single missing tooth gap, but the roots that are present will provide more health benefits than an ordinary set of dentures.

Again, grafts might be required before the denture roots can be placed. But you might have the option of wearing ordinary partial dentures while you wait for the grafts and root to heal up so you won't be walking around without teeth as long as you would be with an ordinary dental implant.

To learn more about your false tooth options, talk to a dentist like those at Riverdale Dental Arts.