Dental Implants Vs. dental Bridges

Dental Implants are far superior to Dental bridges in regards to their functionality and appearance. While the price of a dental implants may be slightly more than a dental bridge, the cumulative long term costs of implants is far less than bridges.

Analyzing the two options as solutions to missing tooth is a not an apple to apple comparison. Dental bridges can only be considered when there is no sufficient jawbone to support an implant in cases when patients do not want to undergo bone graft to supply necessary bones to place an implant. A Dental bridge is not a permanent solution to missing tooth, rather it's a temporary alternative to preserve the natural look for a maximum of 10 years. Unfortunately the damages that a bridge does to adjacent teeth is irreversible. The two supporting teeth needs be cut and covered with crowns that are attached to the middle one that fills the gap for the missing tooth. The crowns increase the risk of gum receding and if crown margins are not enough soon bacteria will start growing under the healthy teeth and causes decays. This will ultimately results in cavities and root canals which would require the crown and the bridge to be dismantled and placed again. In some cases the supporting teeth will become loose and cannot support the bridge. In these cases, a bigger bridge needs to be built and more teeth cut to support the new bridge. In some other cases the bridge itself may fracture or cause tooth to break.

Dental Implants, however, can function independent of their surrounding teeth. They preserve the natural look of your smile as well as your healthy gum and jaw tissues. Implants are permanent solutions and can function similar to natural teeth.

The advantages of dental implant and its overall low costs of maintenance make it a very viable options for replacing missing tooth.