What should I do if I have lost all my back teeth? - Tooronga Family Dentistry in Glen Iris

The back teeth are crucial for chewing, maintaining the support of the jaws, the cheeks and the shape of the face(as seen in the image). Conventional “dental wisdom” is that patients missing all their back teeth will tend to place too much pressure on their remaining front teeth. This can lead to numerous problems including loose front teeth, spaces opening up between the teeth, problems with their their temporomandibular joint due to excess loading of the capsule and to increased wear and breakage of their remaining teeth.

To alleviate the stress on the front teeth most dentists recommend, to place replacements, either by placing implants or fabricating a removable partial denture. Both of these options will allow the jaws to “share the chewing load” and take some of the pressure off, of their front teeth. The thinking is that having support in the back is both good for the health of the temporomandibular joint capsule and will tend to help preserve the remaining front teeth.

When planning for a replacement for the missing teeth, probably the best option if possible is implant driven and involves replacing missing back teeth with implant supported crowns or bridges. This treatment provides a stable and comfortable solution. If a removable partial denture is made, it should be properly designed and fit in order to ensure that it does not overly increase torquing forces on the front teeth holding the clasps and weakening them further.If there are not enough teeth to hold the denture in place the patient will need to use denture adhesive in order to keep their partial from moving. This is why the removable partial denture is not a good solution since it is less comfortable to chew with and can damage the remaining teeth.

If you would like to have you missing teeth checked, please call Tooronga Family Dentistry, Phone number 98227006.