Bridge vs implant

What is better bridge or implant? Is an implant better than a fixed bridge? Implant Cost The cost of the dental bridge is initially less, but it may need to be replaced at some point in the future. Dental Bridge : Pros and Cons.

Many people opt for a dental bridge over a dental implant because the procedure to install one is relatively quick, easy, and safe.

In most cases, it can be completed in two visits, compared to three or more for a dental implant. A dental bridge is also the more economical of the two options. When comparing dental bridges vs.

Implants offer more extended protection — a lifetime. While bridges only replace the crown of your tooth (the part of the tooth visible above the gum line), dental implants include an implant post that reaches beneath the gums, replacing every part of the missing tooth. Bridge vs implant pros and cons should be considered by anyone with a missing space.

The following questions will help guide your decision and will help you make the best decision. These bridge vs implant questions assume you do not want a removable appliance.

Unlike implants , bridges do not replace a tooth root. Although a bridge may involve a delay (to allow the bone to heal after extraction) the treatment time frame is usually a quicker one. But note again that further treatment is often needed down the line with bridgework , whereas implants can last for life. Oral surgery is often require and your mouth may take months to heal following the initial implant procedure. All it takes is a simple dental procedure to get your teeth fixed.

Faster It’s much quicker and easier to get dental bridges (only a few weeks at the most), whereas implants may take several months. The dental implant is more durable than the bridge. The false tooth (called a pontic) is held in place using a bridge that is anchored by a crown to the teeth either side (known as abutment teeth) of the gap.

Both a dental bridge procedure and dental implant surgery are safe treatments that are commonly performed every day. Thus a three-unit bridge is three crowns joined together with the middle crown being a false tooth, with the side crowns cemented or bonded to the adjacent natural teeth. The following illustration shows the general advantages and disadvantages of a three-unit fixed bridge versus an implant restoration. There are times when a cosmetic dentist may prefer a porcelain bridge over an implant because it can give him more control over eliminating the small gaps between teeth that may look unattractive if a dental implant is used.

Because nearby teeth are not altered to support the implant , more of your own teeth are left intact. The first questions to answer are, why is the tooth missing and what is the condition of the rest of the mouth? Bridges: the Best Solution for Lost Tooth?

The implant is not putting any strain on other teeth.

Another great advantage of implants is that they can be used to replace more than one missing natural tooth. In the bottom arch, the patient had good bone. A bridge is generally less expensive than an implant when you look at the up-front costs. As with any major procedure, find out what your dental plan covers – many plans will pay for a bridge but not an implant. The single tooth implant is the simplest use for dental implants.

For multiple, consecutive missing teeth, implants can be combined with a bridge. The bridge allows fewer implants needed to replace the missing teeth. Missing teeth equals a gap where those teeth used to be. A bridge “bridges” that gap, using the adjacent healthy teeth (or dental implants if no natural teeth are present) as anchors. Your dentist will file down the anchoring teeth and install crowns (hollow, artificial teeth) over them.

The affordability of a bridge makes it more common among patients who have to keep economics in perspective. Perhaps the most important pro of dental implant restoration is the protection it offers against bone loss in the jaw, the artificial tooth root providing the stimulation the jaw needs to remain strong and healthy. Typically, one implant is surgically placed for every missing. In many cases, the teeth adjacent to the gap are shaved down and fitted with dental crowns, which act as anchors for the row of artificial teeth between them. If circumstances dictate, replacing those that have failed may not be suitable.

For example, development of a bone disease, continued heavy smoking, severe gum disease leading to major bone loss. So as you see, there is a range of potential dental implants problems.