Missing teeth can negatively impact your ability to bite, chew, and speak, not to mention your overall confidence and the aesthetics of your smile. Replacing them is critical to your health and well-being, yet many patients struggle to decide which tooth replacement solution will best suit their particular needs.
At Doctors Implants, our leading Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons are often asked about the differences between dental implants and bridges. In this post, we’ll directly compare the two and explore their relative merits and drawbacks as well as the reasons why we strongly believe dental implants are the superior option for full mouth tooth replacement:
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are a tooth replacement solution that are fixed in place to look and function exactly like natural teeth. At Doctors Implants, our implants are composed of titanium posts that are inserted directly into the jawbone and attached to prosthetic teeth using small connectors known as abutments.
Pros of Dental Implants
Dental implants have many pros. These include:
- They are a truly permanent restoration that can last a lifetime with proper care and maintenance.
- They are the closest replacement to natural teeth that you can get.
- The post (implant) mimics a natural tooth root. Pressure from chewing stimulates the jawbone and prevents bone loss.
- Once osseointegration (anchoring of the implant into the jawbone) has occurred, implants are incredibly strong and stable.
- Dental implants can be used to effectively replace all missing, bad, or broken teeth.
Cons of Dental Implants
Modern technology and advanced techniques are continually streamlining the dental implant process—increasingly, the preferred treatment option for missing teeth. At Doctors Implants, our specialized 6 Hour Smile mitigates many of the drawbacks traditionally associated with surgical implant procedures.
People often believe that:
- Dental implants involve a lengthy series of procedures.
- While traditional dental implants involve a series of procedures over a period of several months, Doctors Implants’ 6 Hour Smile offers a same-day alternative that will get you identical results over a much shorter period of time.
- Dental implants aren’t an option for patients with bone loss.
- The world-class team of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons at Doctors Implants has never turned away a patient due to bone loss. Our extensive training and experience allows us to use advanced techniques to successfully tackle even the most difficult of cases.
- Dental implant surgery is invasive.
- While it’s true that implant surgery is more invasive than receiving a conventional dental bridge, it’s also true that our patients at Doctors Implants consistently report less pain and a quicker, easier recovery than they anticipated. We do everything possible to ensure a smooth and comfortable experience and our implants last a lifetime.
What Are Dental Bridges?
Conventional dental bridges are a tooth replacement solution most commonly used to replace one or two missing teeth rather than a full arch. As their name implies, they bridge the gap left behind when teeth fall out or are removed.
A dental bridge consists of a prosthetic tooth or teeth suspended between two crowns that serve as anchors. These anchor crowns are placed over healthy teeth on either side of the gap where teeth are missing, thus providing stability for the entire bridge.
Pros of Dental Bridges
- Dental bridges are relatively non-invasive.
- They involve a shorter recovery period than implants.
Cons of Dental Bridges
- Dental bridges are not a permanent tooth replacement solution (typically require replacement every 5-10 years).
- Dental bridges involve reshaping healthy adjacent teeth to receive crowns, which compromises their strength, integrity, and health. Further tooth decay can result.
- They don’t help to prevent bone loss.
- They can feel bulky and unnatural in the mouth.
- They can appear unnatural, especially with age.
- Bacteria and plaque buildup can occur, particularly if the dental bridge isn’t properly fitted or cared for.
- Conventional dental bridges typically replace one or two missing teeth rather than a full arch.
Are There Situations Where a Dental Bridge Is a Better Option?
At Doctors Implants, we specialize in full mouth teeth replacement and, in this context, research has shown that dental implants are the gold standard. That being said, full arch implants do not require an individual post for every prosthetic tooth. Rather, the entire top or bottom arch of prosthetic teeth is efficiently anchored with just a few implant posts.
If you want to replace individual or multiple teeth but are not a good candidate for full arch reconstruction, dental implants are typically a better option than a conventional dental bridge. In rare circumstances, such as if the neighboring teeth already require crowns, a conventional bridge may have merit but will likely still need to be replaced again further down the road. An individual implant or bridge will almost always be the better long-term investment.
Book Your Free Consultation with Doctors Implants
Are you ready to replace missing teeth and learn more about Doctors Implants’ revolutionary 6 Hour Smile? Contact us directly today to book your free consultation with our world-class team of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Call 1-844-SMILES2!
