Bad news first: teeth do not grow back. 

The good news: severely destroyed teeth can be replaced. 

We can show the various options that come into consideration.

Reconstructive dentistry comes into play when teeth are severely damaged or missing completely. It becomes necessary after accidents, severe caries or even through routine wear and tear.

Abrasion means tooth wear: Friction, for example when eating, causes the tooth substance to be lost very slowly. 

Attrition is another term for tooth wear: Grinding your teeth at night leads to the grinding of the teeth. 

Erosion means loss of tooth substance through chemical processes, for example through gastric juices during vomiting or through excessive consumption of acidic foods or drinks, such as cola. 

Abfraction are wedge-shaped defects at the tooth neck: 

Overloading of the tooth, for example by strong pressure when brushing, grinding or chewing hard, abrasive food, leads to damage to the tooth neck. 

As a result of all these wear and tear processes, tooth substance is lost or the teeth become shorter. The dental nerve can become inflamed and recede. This leads to toothache, which is caused by irritated tooth nerves. Over time, the whole chewing process is affected. This can even lead to the loss of individual teeth.

In reconstructive dentistry, the destroyed tooth substance or a missing tooth is replaced. The aim is to restore function and aesthetics. 

Teeth can be replaced in different ways. The replacement depends on the extent of the tooth loss. 

A distinction is made between fixed and removable dentures. If individual teeth or parts of a tooth are missing, a fixed denture is usually recommended: 

Full crown: This refers to the visible part of the tooth. Artificial crowns are made of ceramic and completely cover the visible part of the teeth. Crowns are also used after root canal treatment. 

Partial crown: Only a part of the tooth is crowned. 

Veneer: They are made of ceramic and are very thin. Veneers are permanently bonded to the front of the front teeth. 

Bridge: It closes a gap between two teeth. The adjacent teeth are ground, crowned and used as "bridge abutments". The missing tooth is attached to these abutments and cannot be removed. 

If bridge abutment teeth are not present, are too inclined or the roots of the teeth are not healthy, only implants or removable dentures can be inserted. 

Implant: As a replacement for the tooth root, a metal screw is anchored firmly into the jawbone. After complete healing, an artificial crown or bridge is placed on top of it. 

In the case of large jaw defects or if there are no teeth left that can serve as abutments, a removable denture will be sought. This is called a denture. It consists of a gum-colored plastic base in which the missing plastic teeth are anchored. 

Partial prosthesis: With partial dentures, only some missing teeth are replaced. They are attached to the remaining teeth. Dental implants can also be used as supporting elements. A partial denture is a removable system.

Total prosthesis: They are used when there are no teeth left. They are held on the jaw by means of suction. The hold is ensured by a vacuum, which is created by the saliva and the slightly elastic jaw mucosa. For this reason, total dentures should always be lightly moistened with water before they are inserted. If there is a lack of saliva, there are substitutes that can be used if necessary. 

Hybrid prosthesis: It is the most stable removable denture because it is fixed to the patient's own teeth or implants by means of a bar or snap system. 

The optimal solution will be discussed individually with the patient.