When a patient comes to our practice with a missing tooth, my wife and I usually have a conversation with him or her about whether a dental implant or a dental bridge is the best option to replace their missing tooth. Often, the choice comes down to how much the patient can absorb financially, and how much time they want to spend undergoing the procedure. While both of these factors are important to most people, other factors should be considered before you make your decision.
In general, dental insurance tends to cover more or all of the cost of bridge, which is why many patients opt for them over a dental implant. When it comes to the length of time it takes to complete the procedure, bridges also require much less time in the dentist's chair. If it takes less time and it's cheaper to get a bridge, then why would anyone in their right mind want to get a dental implant? The answer to that question lies in the long-term oral health benefits dental implants can offer you. Here are a couple of examples:
Conserve Your Healthy Teeth with Dental Implants
If you consider the entire history of dentistry as a profession, using dental implants to replace missing teeth is relatively new. One of the greatest benefits of this awesome tooth restoration is that we don't have to alter any of your healthy tooth structure in the adjacent teeth to place the dental implant. Often, if my wife and I are placing a fixed bridge, we will have to prepare your healthy teeth so that the bridge fits properly.
At our Turlock dental practice, my wife and I are passionate about practicing tooth-conserving dentistry, which means we avoid altering or extracting any teeth that don't need altered or extracted. For this reason, we like using dental implants if you're missing a tooth and you're a good candidate for the procedure.
Conserve Your Healthy Jawbone with Dental Implants
Your tooth roots provide stimulation to your jawbone when you eat. When you lose an adult tooth, the lack of stimulation from a healthy tooth root causes your jawbone to deteriorate over time through a process called bone resorption. Your body essentially breaks down and redistributes the minerals because your body is getting the message that there isn't a tooth there any longer.
Unfortunately, a fixed bridge will not stop this bone resorption from happening because the tooth root is never replaced. A dental implant, however, is anchored in the jawbone with a titanium post. The post provides stimulation to the jaw (like a tooth root) and helps your body maintain adequate jawbone density.
So, Which Is Better? A Dental Implant or a Fixed Bridge?
The above question should be discussed with your dentist if you're weighing your options. Ultimately, your individual treatment plan will be what determines the answer for you. There are certain factors, for example, that may disqualify you from getting dental implants altogether. In general, if time and cost are not factors, we recommend dental implants at our practice. It fits our treatment philosophy well and it's a great technology with more than 20 years of successful results.
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