Dental Implants vs Bridges
Have one or more missing teeth in a row? Considering a dental bridge to close the gap? Considering dental implants, too? Wondering if they would be better?
We’ll save you the bother of scrolling and reading:
Undoubtedly, the best tooth replacement method and technique uses dental implants. It doesn’t matter why you lost your teeth or how your oral condition is now; dental implants will still be the best option for the future of your smile. Matter of fact.
Why they’re better
Dental implants do not require healthy, adjoining teeth to be filed down and damaged compared to a dental bridge. As dental bridges need adjacent teeth to have crowns fitted, teeth need to be filed down to stubs to accommodate the bridge.
It’s better long-term
When you have lost a tooth, within six months, the bone in the jaw will begin to diminish and deplete, causing a whole world of problems and consequences like facial sagging and tooth loss.
Whilst dental bridges can prevent remaining teeth from shifting, they do not prevent bone loss, which means that if you ever want dental implants later down the line, you might require a bone graft to rebuild bone in the area.
Dental implants are better for multiple missing teeth
Say, for example, you have three teeth missing in a row. It would be easier to replace them with dental implant bridges, which, using only two implants, can replace up to four missing teeth without causing any damage to existing teeth. If you have more than one missing tooth in a row, a traditional bridge won’t work as it requires two teeth sitting on either side.
Implants might cost more, but they last longer
Dental bridges can last anywhere from five to fifteen years – and whilst they’re a permanent, durable fixture, which means they can only be removed by a dentist, they have been known to fall out or loosen occasionally.
Dental implants, on the other hand, have a 95% success rate and will mostly experience complications if the bone doesn’t fuse with the post in the first three months. Dental implants last up to 30 years, doubling the bridge’s lifespan and requiring fewer repairs or replacements.
Dental implants cost £2,550, and dental bridges per unit cost £1,200.
The only advantage of bridges is they’re faster to place
Acting as a natural tooth root, dental implants are a permanent, life-long restoration, which must fuse to the bone in the jaw to be a success. Because of this reason, patients must wait a minimum of three months following surgery to allow for a period of osseointegration.
During this time, a temporary restoration can be fitted, but the final crowns won’t be fitted until the dental implant has fully healed. Dental bridges take two to three appointments over a few weeks.
Dental implants have the edge over aesthetics
If you’re replacing missing teeth, you want them to look as natural as possible, and even though dental bridges might be cheaper and quicker, they’re not as aesthetically pleasing as dental implants.
Dental implants look exactly like natural teeth, one reason they’re more popular amongst patients.
The procedure process is different
Dental bridges are less invasive to place than dental implants, but that’s just because dental implants involve a surgical method. Dental bridges, on the other hand, do require the removal of healthy enamel and tooth structure for crowns to be placed, which means it’s still an invasive process.
Think now to avoid disappointment later
As mentioned, bone loss is a common consequence of tooth loss, so if you’re temporarily replacing the missing tooth with a bridge, you might be hurting your chances of getting a dental implant later down the line. If there’s a large breakdown of bone, dental implants might not be possible without prior pre-prosthetic procedures, which will be an additional cost and delay to treatment.