Which is Better For Replacing Missing Teeth

If the dentist has had to remove teeth, replacing them and getting back your flawless smile becomes an important priority. This is one of the most common choices you will have in deciding between dental implants or getting a bridge. Is one really better than the other? The truth is they can both be the perfect solution depending on the specific situation.

The Advantages Of Dental Implants

One of the biggest advantages of dental implants is they do not affect any adjacent teeth. With a bridge, the dentist needs to file down the teeth on either side to hold the bridge. These teeth can still decay or fall victim to disease. Implants are immune to both since they are made from metal and other non-natural materials.

Implants have another significant advantage when it comes to cleaning. To keep them clean, you simply follow your normal dental care with an emphasis on flossing. Bridges require daily special cleaning and instructions from your dentist. You need to complete this with the utmost of care to prevent damage and decay with the supporting teeth as well as disease in the gums underneath.

When comparing the two treatments, aesthetic value becomes an important question for many patients. While both mimic your real smile with great accuracy, implantable crowns are almost indiscernible from the real thing. The prosthetic treatment still looks very natural, but the connective feature of the false crowns can give it away.

The Advantages Of A Bridge

Perhaps the most apparent advantage to a bridge is on the jawbone. Dental implants are inserted directly into the bone to give them superior stability. This dental treatment relies strictly on the teeth to either side of the treatment area. Oral care professionals often opt for this type of appliance when the patient lacks the structure to support a post, or the bone can’t fuse onto the metal securely.

Dentists can create an oral prosthesis cheaper than the initial cost of the alternative. A majority of the cost for both treatments depends on the amount of care they receive throughout the lifespan of the treatment. For example, decay that has gone into the structures under the tooth, smoking, and disease can make it almost impossible for the bone to fuse to a metal post. It can also cause it to release. If either tooth, which the prosthesis uses as support, sustains damage, it has to be remade. This could also include additional treatments such as pulp cap, root canals, or other treatments.

Dealing with damage is another part of the decision. An implanted crown only needs the crown portion replaced. Depending on the extent of the damage, bridges can be either repaired or replaced. Generally, the appliance is far more affordable in this area since they rarely need replacing.

Both bridges and dental implants can be a highly beneficial treatment under the right circumstances. The best way dentists decide between the two is purely by examining each patient on a case by case basis. If you are unsure if the choice your dentist made is the best option, be sure to talk it over with them. They will be happy to look at these and other options with you.