Dental Implants vs. Dental Bridges

How Do Dental Implants Work?

When you lose a tooth, the entire tooth is removed which includes the tooth root. A dental implant artificially replaces this tooth, including the tooth root. It consists of a small post or screw that is usually made from titanium alloy and which is inserted directly into the jawbone.

The dental implant process involves the following steps:

1. A small post or screw made of titanium alloy is inserted directly into the jawbone.
2. Over several months (usually 3 to 6 months), the post integrates and bonds with the bone around it until it forms a strong anchorage point for a new replacement tooth.
3. During this healing period, your dental implant dentist can supply you with a temporary tooth.
4. While the implant post heals, it is covered up with a special protective covering called a healing cap. This shapes the gum around it.
5. Once the implant is ready to be permanently restored, the implant crown is placed. It looks as if the implant crown is emerging from your gums in a way that is entirely natural and just like a real tooth.

A well-made implant crown can look and feel exactly like a natural tooth, so nobody can even tell the difference.

What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Having a Dental Implant?

Advantages of Dental Implants

1. Replaces an entire missing tooth, including the root
   • Provides the next best thing to a natural tooth
2. Healthier option than a dental bridge
   • Preserves adjacent teeth, no modification required
   • Prevents teeth from shifting out of position
   • Allows a full complement of teeth to share biting/chewing load
3. Protects and preserves jawbone
   • Acts as an artificial tooth root
   • Stimulates bone to prevent resorption
   • Ensures old bone cells are replaced with new ones
4. High success rate
   • Usually 95% success rate
   • Some dentists report up to 98% success rate
5. Easy to care for
   • Single implants brushed and flossed like natural teeth
   • Proper care prevents infection around implant

While dental implants offer significant advantages, it’s crucial to maintain them through regular brushing, flossing, and professional cleanings to prevent tissue infection and ensure their longevity.

Disadvantages of Dental Implants

1. Invasive surgical procedure
   • Requires a small surgical procedure to insert the implant into the jawbone
   • Can seem more invasive than getting a dental bridge
2. Anxiety or fear of surgery
   • The thought of having surgery can deter some people initially
   • However, the implant placement typically takes less than an hour
3. Dental fears or anxiety
   • Some may feel nervous or anxious about getting a dental implant
   • Sedation dentistry can help alleviate fears and make the process more comfortable

The text highlights that while the surgical aspect of dental implants may seem daunting at first, the procedure itself is relatively quick. Additionally, sedation dentistry options are available to help patients feel more at ease during the implant placement process.

How Does a Dental Bridge Work?

Unlike a dental implant, a dental bridge will not artificially restore a tooth root. Instead, it uses the teeth either side of the gap as abutments or support for the bridge. These teeth are extensively ground and reshaped so dental crowns can be fitted over the teeth. The dental crowns are attached to the replacement tooth which is called a pontic. The pontic bridges the gap left behind by the missing tooth and is shaped to look like a real tooth. Unlike a dental implant tooth that seems as if it is emerging from your gums, a bridge pontic merely rests on the gums.

What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Having a Dental Bridge?

Advantages of Dental Bridges

Once your dentist has shaped your teeth and taken a dental impression, they can provide a temporary restoration to wear for the time needed to manufacture your bridge. Your new bridge can be fitted and cemented in place at your next appointment. It’s a solution that will appeal to people who really don’t want to have oral surgery. It is also a good option if the teeth adjacent to the gap are decayed, heavily filled or will benefit from being crowned.

Disadvantages of Dental Bridges

One potential downside of having a dental bridge is the need to reshape the teeth adjacent to the gap. Your dentist must remove a substantial amount of tooth material which could be undesirable if these teeth are healthy, strong and free from decay. Even though these teeth will be protected with dental crowns, there is an increased risk that these crowns could leak in the future as they begin to age, letting in bacteria that may cause infection and decay. Also, a dental bridge does nothing to preserve your jawbone which will gradually resorb from underneath the pontic. There is a risk that eventually you could end up with an unsightly gap underneath the pontic, and which could become a food trap.

Deciding Which Solution Will Suit You Best

Deciding between dental implants or a dental bridge is a big decision, and it is best to be guided by the experience of your dental implant dentist. After examining your mouth and talking to you about your general health, your implant dentist can determine your suitability for treatment. They can discuss the potential risks and benefits with you, and of course, the costs of each treatment. Initially, a dental implant will cost more than a dental bridge, but in the longer term, the procedure could save you money, and especially when the time comes to replace these restorations. Replacing a dental bridge affecting three teeth is more expensive than replacing a single implant crown.