Missing Teeth and Braces
Can you have braces if you have missing teeth? How does that work and does it take longer for
the orthodontic treatment? These are some of the questions our office gets asked quite often,
and the answer always depends on your situation. In most cases orthodontic therapy in
conjunction with dental treatment not only enhances your smile but also your dental work will
last longer and your overall teeth will be healthier. You bite will function better and you will be
able to keep your teeth longer.
We are in the process of finishing a case where the patient is missing a front tooth. The patient
is approximately 23 years old and is just about to start graduate school, actually he is going to
be a future dentist. He lost his front tooth in a frisbee accident when he was about 9 years old.
He waited for braces, because he always thought that braces will not help.
Although the treatment plan varies from case to case but in general we work with his dentist
who is going to do the implant and the final crown that will replace the missing tooth. In his
case once we were able to align and finish his smile to his satisfaction with orthodontic
treatment we referred him back to his dentist with a special retainer that the lab fabricated to fit
his missing tooth. The retainer had a matching tooth so that there was no space or a gap in the
patient’s smile.
The patient will be wearing this special retainer for the duration of the implant/crown process
which could last about 36 months depending on what the periodontal needs are for the patient.
The retainer is doing two things, it is keeping his smile beautiful and second it is keeping the
space where the dental implant is going to be placed just right size.
When we first saw the patient about 18 months ago, he was hesitant to start braces, he was not
sure if braces will help, but due to his bite and for the longevity of the implant, making
orthodontic treatment part of his full comprehensive treatment plan worked out great.
The overall result will be great and his new smile will last for a very long time. In this case
adjunct orthodontic therapy in conjunction with dental treatment not only enhanced his smile but
also corrected his bite and now his implant will be a better overall fit to his smile.
So, if you are in a similar situation where you might be missing a tooth or two, don’t hesitate to
ask you dentist for other options including orthodontic treatmen
