YOU JUST FOUND OUT YOU NEED A TOOTH EXTRACTION – NOW WHAT?

What happens next

If you've been told a tooth must come out, you’ll be booked in for a tooth extraction procedure and your dentist will spend time with you to discuss the best choice for tooth replacement. There are different types of dentures and lots of other options to replace your missing tooth. These include:

Partial denture

Partial dentures are used to replace one or more teeth and clip onto your remaining teeth.
 

Full denture

A removable set of teeth used when all of your upper or lower teeth need to be removed.
 

Bridge

A new artificial tooth is cemented on either side to the remaining teeth. It is not removable.
 

Dental implant

 A titanium root that mimics your natural root is surgically placed into the bone beneath your gum and then a prosthetic tooth is attached. Like a bridge, an implant is not removable.

Your choice may depend on cost, the health of your gums and bone, and which tooth (or teeth) is being removed.
 

Why do I need to replace my missing tooth?

Putting off the decision to replace a missing tooth may cause your remaining teeth to shift, affecting your bite and appearance. It can also cause decay and gum disease from trapped food. Follow the advice of your dentist if they tell you a replacement needs to go in.
 

The emotional side of tooth loss

As well as dealing with the physical aspects of losing a tooth, it can come with emotional struggles too. You may feel angry, worried, powerless, sad, guilty – all of these feelings are normal.

Your teeth can affect how you eat and communicate, so it’s OK to turn your thoughts to how tooth loss will impact your life. Whether you choose a denture, bridge or dental implant, it’s not your natural tooth, so allow yourself time to get used to it.
 

If you choose dentures…

•  As experts on caring for dentures, we can tell you that if you choose that option to replace your teeth, any challenges you’ll face are temporary and can be overcome in time with the guidance of your dentist and the wealth of information we’ve developed to help support you through this journey.

• Worldwide, about one in five people wear dentures¹, which means that several people you know are probably wearing them right now.
 

Life will go back to normal

Getting dentures takes some getting used to, but millions of people wear them every day and live happy, normal lives.

Advances in the way that dentures are made means that they look the same as enamel teeth and they’ll be color-matched to your existing teeth, so it’s entirely up to you whether you divulge to friends and family that you’re a denture wearer.

Initially, eating and speaking can take some getting used to and you’ll need to make allowances for that, such as eating softer foods and practising speaking with your dentures in, but there is plenty of help available on this site to see you through that journey with ease. You will eat in public, laugh with friends, give presentations and go on dates. Everything is possible.

Your action plan

• You may have been too overwhelmed by the news of your tooth loss to fully absorb information given to you by your dentist, but now is the time to take back control by arming yourself with as much knowledge as possible. The power is in your hands.

• Before your next appointment, research the types of tooth replacement and their cost so that you can have a full and informed discussion with your dentist, and also note down any questions you have on the effects of tooth loss after your tooth extraction procedure.

• Take a pen and paper with you so that you or a friend/family member can note down the answers. Feeling informed and prepared will enable you to face this upcoming life event in a positive and proactive way.

 

^References:

^{1. Haleon data on file. Global Omnibus study}