If you’ve lost one or more teeth, you may be considering dental implants or dental bridges to replace your missing tooth. But which one is better? Today, we’ll discuss the advantages of dental implants vs. bridges to help you decide which is best for your smile.
The Truth About Adult Tooth Loss
It’s easy to take your teeth for granted. When you think about it, they work pretty hard to help us make the most out of life. We get to enjoy all kinds of food, smile at the people we love, and be understood when we speak.
But by the age of 44, 69% of adults will have lost at least one tooth. Statistically, 26% of people aged 74 or older have no remaining teeth. Reasons for tooth loss are varied and aren’t always strictly because of poor dental hygiene. A variety of health conditions, smoking, chemotherapy, radiation, and chronic disease can all contribute to tooth loss.
Dental implants and dental bridges are popular options to replace missing teeth. In recent years, dental implants have become the standard of care in tooth replacement. Dental implants offer several advantages over dental bridges, but it’s essential to understand the pros and cons of each tooth replacement option before you proceed.
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are metal posts, usually made of titanium, implanted into the jawbone where they replace the root of the tooth that’s no longer there. Once the implant is healed and fused to your jawbone, your dentist will set a custom-made crown designed to look and perform like a natural tooth.
The most significant advantage of dental implants is that they are permanently fixed and fused to the jawbone to prevent further bone loss, which may stop you from losing more teeth.
What Are Dental Bridges?
Dental bridges bridge the gap left by a missing tooth. To set a bridge, your dentist must file down the neighboring teeth to prepare for the bridge to be cemented in place. The bridge is anchored to the surrounding teeth and bridges the gap between them. Dental bridges provide a cosmetic solution, but they do not replace the root of the missing tooth.
The advantage of a dental bridge is that it is generally a quicker fix for tooth loss. In most cases, dental bridge installation only takes a couple of weeks from start to finish. Bridges do not require dental surgery or bone grafts, and they will stop neighboring teeth from shifting into the gap left by the missing tooth. Lastly, since your insurance may cover a bridge, it may be a more affordable choice, at least in the short term.
Unfortunately, dental bridges are not permanent. If you are already experiencing bone loss, a bridge will not prevent it from progressing, meaning you may lose more teeth despite the bridge. Also, because healthy teeth have been reduced to accommodate the bridge, it may weaken those teeth, leading to further tooth loss.
If you prefer a more permanent solution to prevent bone loss and help you keep your remaining teeth, an implant might be a better choice.
What Are the Benefits of Dental Implants?
Dental implants offer several benefits that dental bridges simply can’t compete with
1) Dental implants preserve your healthy teeth
When placing a dental implant, having any of your healthy, neighboring teeth shaved down is unnecessary. Reducing neighboring teeth, which would be required for a bridge, can compromise their long-term integrity. In other words, dental implants allow you to deal with the tooth you’re having an issue with—without weakening the adjacent teeth. Dental implants are considered the best tooth replacement option for preserving your overall oral health, as they help you keep your natural teeth for as long as possible.
2) Dental implants support jaw health
When you lose a tooth and do not replace it with an implant, your jawbone will start to deteriorate immediately. This is because the bone needs stimulation from a tooth root to remain healthy. Without a healthy root, some bone tissue will break down and reabsorb into your body. Implants provide that simulation, slowing the rate of bone reabsorption and preserving the ridge that holds your teeth in place. Dental implants are the only tooth replacement strategy that protects you from losing bone in your jaw, preventing adverse changes to your facial appearance over time.
3) Dental implants can last a lifetime
Dental bridges are temporary prostheses that must be replaced every few years. The average lifespan of a dental bridge is between five to fifteen years. On the other hand, dental implants are intended to last a lifetime, assuming you take care of your teeth and gums as you should and attend regular dental checkups. The crown itself may need to be replaced at some point, but this process is relatively simple as the implants may never need replacing.
4) Dental implants keep adjacent teeth healthy
If you were to do nothing after losing a tooth, the resulting bone loss would destabilize the teeth around the gap, and you would risk losing them, too. Once teeth are filed down to accommodate a bridge, they are more susceptible to tooth decay, which may lead to further issues. Implants also prevent teeth from drifting into the gap, helping to maintain the integrity of your smile and preventing changes in appearance due to bone loss and missing teeth.
5) Dental implants perform like natural teeth
Implants are more like natural teeth than bridges or dentures, and care is easy as you can brush and floss as you usually do. With dental implants, you can enjoy restored bite strength and not worry about biting into apples or your other favorite crunchy and chewy foods.
Final Thoughts on Dental Implants vs. Bridges
If you are missing one or more teeth, implants are the best way to restore your smile, preserve your jawbone, and protect the integrity of your remaining teeth. If you have questions, we encourage you to reach out to learn more about the implant procedure or to schedule a consultation appointment with our expert team of oral surgeons at any of our locations across North Carolina and South Carolina.
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