We currently live in a society where the bulk of the demographic pyramid is around 40-60 years of age. Despite this, the number of patients with total loss of teeth in an arch has been reduced to almost negligible figures compared to two decades ago, with single missing or lost teeth being the main reason for prosthetic replacement.
First molars are usually the teeth most commonly affected by caries, endodontic treatment or periodontal problems, forcing their early extraction.
These teeth are important not only in mastication, but also in maintaining the height dimension of the lower third of the face and correct dental meshing.
This is why the dentist The dentist who examines you will always advise you to replace the missing teeth. Nowadays we have multiple prosthetic methods available, being fixed bridges and the new dental implants the most advisable in the case of single losses.
However, the average life of implants is longer than that of bridges, almost twice as long (20/10 years according to authors such as Misch), as the latter, in addition to damaging the abutment teeth during preparation, are often susceptible to caries, endodontics and increased mobility due to excessive loading, ultimately leading to the loss of the abutment tooth and, therefore, the bridge in question.
To summarise, it is important to replace missing teeth by being as gentle as possible on the oral structures and to always seek the advice of your dentist. trusted dentistEach case is individual and will require specific treatment.
