Braces with Missing Teeth – Huntington, NY

Why Your Teeth are Missing

There are numerous reasons why your teeth are missing. From severe decay and gum disease to birth defects, serious facial trauma, and poor lifestyle habits like smoking, missing teeth can leave you feeling self-conscious and unsure of how to perform some of the most common daily functions (i.e., eating, speaking).

As a result, missing teeth can not only lower your self-esteem, but it can lead to bone loss and the potential for healthy remaining teeth to shift, falling out of alignment. This can cause you to need orthodontic treatment to avoid more serious problems like temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD), excessive wear and tear on your tooth enamel, chronic jaw pain, and additional tooth loss.

Is It Possible to Wear Braces and Have Missing Teeth?

Yes! Braces and missing teeth are a possibility, which should help you breathe a sigh of relief. During your initial consultation, your orthodontist will examine your smile and formulate a treatment plan that will ensure your teeth move into proper alignment.

If overcrowding is an issue, it may be necessary to extract an additional tooth (or teeth) to allow for your teeth to shift during treatment. If multiple teeth are missing, we may need to place a custom-made restoration to help fill in the gaps of your smile while your remaining teeth continue to move.

No matter how our team plans to repair and restore your smile, you can trust that we will work to establish a solution that works best for you. Seeking treatment sooner rather than later will help you avoid the potential for additional bite misalignment, which can result in jaw pain and the wearing of your natural tooth enamel.

How Can Braces Help Repair Your Smile?

To understand how braces can actually work to fix your smile, even with missing teeth, there are various ways your orthodontist can accomplish this task. First, it is important to note that no matter if you are a teenager or an adult, it is possible to be treated with traditional braces. Second, if you have teeth that have yet to erupt and/or a misaligned jaw, you may find braces to be a suitable and successful method of treatment. If you have a child whose baby teeth haven’t fallen out yet, an orthodontist can strategically place metal braces in a way that allows for these primary teeth to fall out before applying the bracket to an adult tooth that will eventually emerge.

Okay, but how can teeth move if there are gaps? If you look at your facial structure, the jawbone is designed to hold your teeth in place. When braces are applied, the jawbone allows for necessary movement to help shift your teeth into proper alignment. If a tooth is impacted or not fully erupted, metal brackets and wires can be put into place and positioned in a way to encourage that particular tooth to move into position, aligning with your fully erupted, healthy teeth.

The truth is that braces are an ideal way to safeguard the vacated sockets of your smile because your natural teeth will become more stable, preventing them from shifting to “fill in the gaps.” Once you are finished with treatment, it may be possible to inquire about a custom-made bridge or dental implant to complete the look of your smile.

If you’re unsure whether dental insurance will cover the cost of treatment, you’ll be pleased to know that most insurance companies do offer available coverage. However, if the remaining balance is too steep for your budget, you can set up a payment plan with a member of our team. Requiring no credit checks, you can enroll in a 0% interest plan with various repayment schedules.