Comparing Cost of Dental Implants & A Dental Bridge

Debating between a dental implant and a traditional dental bridge? Consider the long term price.

Although a traditional dental bridge may serve as a temporary alternative, as a permanent alternative, they may cause more harm than good.

A traditional dental bridge is created to fill the gap of one or more missing teeth. Typical bridges consist of two crowns that are placed over your two natural teeth at either side of the gap. In between the two crowns are false teeth connected to the crowns that fill in the gap. Though this may seem like a convenient and helpful treatment, here are a few reasons why this treatment should not be permanent:

• Lack of dental roots causes bone resorption (or the thinning of your jawbone)
• The teeth supporting the crown can get infected or begin to decay
• Decaying/infectious areas will cause the dental bridge to fail
• The bridge doesn’t look natural

Where bridges may be a good idea for a while, the long term effect will cause more harm than good. People have also reported non-medical problems relating to the bridge such as

• Discomfort from a poor fit
• Breakage

Dental implants are more durable than bridges, allowing them to provide protection that lasts a lifetime. The implant’s metal cylinder is normally made of titanium, according to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID), and this material fuses with your jawbone naturally through a process called osseointegration. Because it’s made of such a strong metal, they are very resistant to decay and gum problems. The average life of a dental bridge, on the other hand, is approximately 10 years. A portion of your natural tooth remains beneath it and normal wear may cause the bridge to fail more easily over time. In general, the remaining tooth structure continues to be susceptible to decay and gum disease.

Traditional tooth-supported bridges require grinding down the teeth on either side of the gap, so that the bridge can be cemented onto them. The tooth structure can never be replaced and the long-term health of these teeth is compromised. Partial dentures have clasps that hook onto adjacent teeth, putting pressure on them as the partial rocks back and forth. Eventually, these teeth can loosen and fall out as a result of this constant pressure. Replacing missing teeth with implant-supported crowns or bridges does not involve the adjacent natural teeth, so they are not compromised or damaged.

The overall quality of life will improve with replacement teeth that look, feel, and function like natural teeth. With implant-supported replacement teeth, you have a more natural-looking smile, and your teeth function more like natural teeth. You will experience increased comfort and confidence when smiling, speaking, and eating. By replacing dentures and partials with implant-supported teeth, you will be able to eat all types of foods without worrying about messy adhesives.

Dental implants offer a long term solution to gaps in your smile that bridges often don’t. Learn why.