You may have a single missing tooth, multiple missing teeth, or complete tooth loss. Different options are available to fill gaps in your smile, such as dental implants, fixed bonded bridges, removable partial and full dentures, implant-supported dentures, and full-arch dental implants. Deciding how to replace a missing tooth can be difficult for most people. You didn’t want to lose a tooth in the first place. Now, you must decide whether to replace it with a dental bridge or an implant.
Dental implants, first deployed in the mid-1960s, have become increasingly popular as an alternative to removable dentures. Dental implants can be used to support crowns that replace single lost teeth, bridges that restore several lost teeth, and even dentures in patients that have become edentulous (toothless). Implants are generally manufactured from titanium, a metal known to be compatible with body tissues and able to bond with adjacent bone during healing. In recent years, implants made from zirconia – white rather than metallic in color and with similar bone-bonding qualities to titanium – have become more popular and influential than titanium ones. A wealth of evidence from studies and clinical experience shows that dental implants are a safe and convenient way to replace lost teeth with natural-looking results.
Dental implants are considered the “gold standard” for tooth replacement because they do what no other restorative procedure can do: give back your entire tooth from root to crown. Most other treatments only serve to recreate the tooth above the gum line, but dental implants take it a step further. Dental implants are affordable, durable, and painless. They improve speech, while poor-fitting dentures can slip within the mouth, causing you to slur your words and resulting in inconvenience. Implants eliminate the discomfort of removable dentures. Sliding dentures can make chewing difficult. Dental implants function like teeth, allowing you to eat your favorite foods confidently and without pain. Individual implants also allow easier access between teeth, improving oral hygiene.
What are the differences between dental bridges and implants?
A dental bridge consists of a false tooth or teeth permanently attached to the teeth on either side of the space. The false tooth replaces the missing tooth. Much like a bridge over a river, the false tooth “bridges” across the space left by the missing tooth and is held in place by the natural teeth on either side of the gap, called abutments. An implant is like a false root that the dentist places into the jaw bone where the natural tooth was removed. It preserves the bone and should last for a lifetime. Over a few months, the bone and gums grow around and through the implant, anchoring it in place, just like the root of the tooth removed. Your dentist then places a crown over the top of the implant that functions like a natural tooth.
Dental implants are a series of procedures to recreate a missing tooth, while a fixed dental bridge is a non-removable prosthesis attached to remaining natural teeth. At first glance, a bridge appears to be a more economical route, but when comparing cost versus value, the dental implant is more cost-effective and the better treatment option. Dental implants are more durable than bridges, providing lifetime protection.
We offer top-quality dental care that is affordable for all our patients. Tooth replacement doesn’t have to be complicated. Let us help you make your decision a bit easier! For more information about all treatment options, please call our office at (617) 277-6969 or contact us online.
A smile makeover can change your life in ways you can’t imagine. The makeover process is all about giving you the smile of your dreams. Schedule your consultation with the best dental implant expert in Brookline, MA!
