Dental Care and Special Needs: Planning for Success

Posted on: 10 June 2015

The rare genetic condition tooth and nail syndrome presents with a failure of teeth and nails to develop properly. Baby and adult teeth can be missing entirely or misshapen. Several dental treatment options exist to both improve your bite and improve the appearance of your smile.

Here are a few of the treatment options you can discuss during your next dentist appointment.

Missing Adult Teeth: Partials or Dental Implants

Missing adult teeth can create problems when chewing and leave gaps in your smile. It's important to choose a dental replacement to prevent existing teeth from shifting into those gaps, which would cause even more bite and smile issues.

Tooth and nail syndrome often presents with several teeth missing around the mouth. In that situation, you might want to consider a partial bridge. A semi-flexible nylon base is crafted with holes for your existing teeth to stick through and artificial teeth to fill in the gaps. The artificial teeth are held into place by two nylon extensions that fit over the healthy teeth on either end of the plate. While these are removable, the fit is often fairly comfortable compared to an older style of dentures with a metal base.

If you only have one or two missing teeth, dental implants might work better. A metal root is embedded into your jawbone and allowed to heal to fuse with the bone. The dentist then attaches a post and an artificial tooth to the post. This jawbone support offers a more natural feel than dentures when chewing. And the presence of the jawbone root will help promote bone health as the loss of teeth causes bone degradation over time. If you already have jawbone degradation, you might need to have a bone graft before the implant procedure.

Misshapen Teeth: Crowns or Veneers

Mild cases of misshapen teeth might be treatable with dental crowns. The dentist will craft a tooth-colored artificial tooth shell that will be bonded over top of the existing tooth. Adding a crown can gently reshape the appearance of the tooth while offering better structural protection to the natural tooth underneath.

Moderate to severe shape issues might require veneers. The dentist will shave down the existing tooth to make it easier to rebuild the shape. A tooth-colored resin is then affixed to the front of the shaved tooth to create an entirely new look. The interior of your natural tooth will still exist within the veneer.

If you have other questions about these dental procedures, contact a dentist at a practice like Buffalo Dental Group.