Dental Implants vs. Dentures or Bridges

A Dental Implant provides several advantages over other tooth replacement options. In addition to looking and functioning like a natural tooth, a dental implant replaces a single tooth without sacrificing the health of neighboring teeth. The other common treatment for the loss of a single tooth, a tooth-supported fixed bridge, requires that adjacent teeth be ground down to support the cemented bridge.

What are the advantages of a single-tooth dental implant over a bridge?

Because a dental implant will replace your tooth root, the bone is better preserved. With a bridge, some of the bone that previously surrounded the tooth begins to resorb (deteriorate). Dental implants integrate with your jawbone, helping to keep the bone healthy and intact.

Esthetic: natural looking and functioning tooth replacement.

In the long term, a single implant can be more esthetic and easier to keep clean than a bridge. Dental implants looks and feel like your own, natural teeth. Because dental implants integrate into the structure of your bone, they prevent bone loss and gum recession that often accompany bridgework and Dentures. Gums can recede around a bridge, leaving a visible defect when the metal base or collar of the bridge becomes exposed. Also, the cement holding the bridge in place can wash out, allowing bacteria to decay the teeth that anchor the bridge.

Tooth-saving: maintain the integrity of your remaining teeth.

Dental implants don’t sacrifice the quality of your adjacent teeth like a bridge does because neighboring teeth are not altered to support the implant. More of your own teeth are left untouched, a significant long-term benefit to your oral health. A dental implant looks and functions like a natural tooth without sacrificing the health of your adjacent teeth.

Confidence boosting.

Dental implants will allow you to once again speak and eat with comfort and confidence. They are secure and offer freedom from the irksome clicks and wobbles of dentures. They’ll allow you to say goodbye to worries about misplaced dentures and messy pastes and glues.

Reliable: long term success.

The success rate of dental implants is highly predictable. In the long term, implants are aesthetically pleasing, comfortable, and functional just like a natural tooth. On the other hand, your gums and bone can recede around a bridge or denture over a period of time which may result in an unattractive smile. Implants are considered an excellent option for tooth replacement and often last a lifetime, while the expected lifespan of a bridge is only 7-10 years. Because bridges and dentures have a finite lifespan and will ultimately need to be replaced, in the long term they can be more expensive than a dental implant.