Comparing Dental Implants and Dental Bridges: Which is right for me?
As I speak with my patients, I tell them that we are so lucky to live in the day and age of modern dentistry. We have more options for keeping our teeth healthy, looking sensational, and in the unforeseen situation where a tooth may need to be removed, we have great ways to replace a missing tooth or multiple teeth! Two of the most common ways to replace missing teeth is a dental bridge or a dental implant. When used in the correct situation, either a dental bridge or a dental implant can restore function and esthetics wonderfully, but we should understand both before making a decision.
Understanding Dental Bridges:
A dental bridge is a fixed restoration to replace one or more missing teeth. This means it is designed to stay permanently in your mouth and not be removed. A bridge is an appliance that contains artificial teeth meant to replace missing teeth; it is anchored to adjacent teeth for support. The dentist that you are working with will prepare adjacent teeth for crowns, take an impression of the area, and work with a dental lab in order to match the shades and shapes of the adjacent teeth to make the bridge look as natural as possible. The artificial teeth are called “pontics” and are designed to withstand chewing, to look natural, and to help with cleanliness. On a dental bridge, all of the teeth are connected in order to support the pontics so it is important to establish a great home hygiene routine with brushing, flossing, and waterflossing below the pontics. In a matter of days or weeks, a dental bridge can restore missing teeth, offering an esthetic solution that (with proper home care) can last and serve you for years to come with the proper care.
What you need to know about Dental Implants:
Dental implants are our most modern way to replace a single tooth, multiple teeth, or all of your teeth if the situation arises. Dental implants are a great option for almost any patient, with a wide array of ways to attach teeth to your bone in a way that is similar to natural teeth. One of the many benefits of dental implants is that they do not need the support of adjacent teeth. We do not need to rely on any other teeth to support the replacement tooth on the dental implant. This allows for your natural teeth to remain in their current state. In order for a dental implant to be placed, x-rays are taken and evaluated. This allows your dentist to understand the best way for the dental implant to be placed in the bone so that the crown that will go on top of it looks natural and you are able to chew on it normally. When restoring one or a portion of the teeth, after the placement of the dental implant into the bone, there is a period of time that needs to take place to allow the bone to heal against the dental implant in order to best support it. When replacing all of the teeth in either the maxilla (upper) or mandibular (lower) arch, the teeth can often be placed on the implants at the time of the surgery. These immediate “teeth in a day” type of situations can drastically change how a person appears in a day.
Restore Your Smile With Confidence:
Dental bridges and dental implants are amazing ways to restore severely damaged teeth that need removal or teeth that have been missing for years. The wonderful team at Sensational Smiles is always prepared and eager to assist you in finding the best solution for replacing a single tooth or multiple teeth.
Give us a call today at 605-332-4751 for a visit or request an appointment with one of our amazing dentists to discuss what your best options can be.
Dr. Adam Swingdorf enjoys being involved in the community, health care, and business– he believes dentistry is the crossroads of all of those areas. He continually seeks to learn about the best practices for dental implants and restorations. Outside of work, he has three children with his wife, and he enjoys coaching, sports, hunting, and exercising.
