What can your dentist do about lost teeth? He can fit a removable partial denture, or he can provide a fixed bridge that caps a tooth at each side of the gap and holds one or more false teeth in position. Another option that is becoming popular is an implant. The dentist inserts a titanium anchor into the jawbone where the tooth used to be, and when the bone and gum have grown back into place, he attaches an artificial tooth to the anchor. It is almost like having a real tooth.

[Diagram on page 30]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

Restoring Teeth

A veneer bonds to the tooth

A cap

An implant

A fixed bridge caps a tooth at each side of the gap and holds a false tooth in position