Implants vs Bridges
Dentist Newport Beach, CA
Dealing with a missing or damaged tooth can raise several challenges in your daily life. Besides the awkwardness that you may experience during talking or smiling in social circumstances, there is bad breath, threat of periodontal disease, and effect on your overall health, that can make a bad situation worse for many. This is why experts advise that you get your missing or damaged tooth replaced as soon as possible. While this may bring your natural smile back, it will also protect you from other negative effects that damage can have on your health.
Teeth replacement procedures have come a long way in recent years. While many are aware of bridges and dentures, dental implants are a fairly new treatment that can help you replace missing teeth. If you are dealing with a missing tooth, you might be wondering which is a better choice for you, implants or bridges? At we take great pride in breaking down the surgeries, step by step for all of our patients beforehand so they can make an informed choice. If you have any questions or would like to find out more about implants or bridges, we’d love to have you come visit us at our clinic.
What are Dental Implants?
Dental implants itself are not the replacement teeth. A dental implant is a prosthesis for the tooth root, made from titanium that is surgically placed into the patient’s jawbone. Your dentists will allow you some time to let the implant infuse with the jawbone. Depending on your overall health, this could take anywhere between four to 12 weeks.
Once the gum tissue adequately covers the implants, your dentist will then attach the artificial tooth (crown) to the implants using abutments. The entire process from tooth extraction to replacement can take anywhere between three to six months. Patients with complications such as inadequate jawbone strength or height may have to undergo additional surgeries like bone grafting before the implants can be placed. This can add some more time to your healing process.
What are Dental Bridges?
A dental bridge, as the name suggests, bridges the gap between your teeth left by a missing tooth. This type of restoration requires support from one or more neighboring teeth, so your dentist may anchor them to the nearest healthy teeth after filing them down. Unlike dental implants, bridges can only fill the gap but cannot actually provide any natural stimulation to the bone underneath. This is important as your gums are the main support for your teeth and smile.
Dental bridges can easily replace up to four missing teeth at a time, but anything more than that is usually not recommended as there may not be enough healthy teeth available for anchoring support. These are usually recommended to young and adult patients as they still have adequate strength in their natural teeth.
Which Is The Best Option For Me?
The answer to this question depends on many factors. First and foremost, our dentists will try to determine the extent of the damage to the gums and nearby teeth. If you are open to both treatments, then dental implants will be a sound choice. Some patients hesitate to go through invasive treatments, so dental bridges might be a suitable option for them.
Dental implants are a permanent restoration for missing teeth which look and feel just like natural teeth would. Although they cost more than dental bridges, they certainly offer more value in the long run. For example, taking care of dental implants is easy and they restore your bite force so you may eat any food that you like.
At Enamel General and Cosmetic Dentistry, we offer restorative treatments to patients of all ages. If you are interested in learning more about the cost, timeframe, and how effective restorative treatments can be for you, do not hesitate to call us at 949-991-2499.
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