Dental Bridge or Implant – Which is Right for Me?
Does it really matter whether you choose a bridge or implant? To begin with, let’s review why it’s so important that you replace missing teeth, at all.
Save Your Smile with a Quality Restoration
A missing tooth does more than leave an unsightly gap in your smile. That gap can lead to the surrounding teeth shifting out of place. When this happens, it takes even more work to get your smile straightened out. Teeth that have drifted out of their normal positions are subject to uneven pressure from your bite. This means that you could be looking at uneven wear, jaw pain, and possible fractures.
To add to this, crooked and overlapping teeth are more prone to developing decay and gum disease around them because it’s harder’s harder to keep them clean. The bottom line is that replacing a missing tooth with a dental restoration will keep your smile straight and healthy.
Dental Bridges: The Quick Solution
A dental bridge generally consists of two dental crowns with a false tooth suspended between them. These crowns are secured onto the natural teeth at either end of the gap. The false tooth sits just above the gums in a way that it won’t put any weight on your gums but fits snugly enough to look like a natural tooth.
You can expect to have your smile completed in less than a month when you choose a dental bridge. The bridge is intended to last for a long time – ten to fifteen years, in most cases. The nature of crowns, however, is that they will eventually need to be updated due to wear and/or new decay.
Your dental bridge will require some special care at home. You need to make sure you clean underneath it daily with floss and floss around the teeth with the crowns. With diligent care, you can get a lot of mileage out of a bridge!
Dental Implants: A New Smile For Life
Dental implants are the closest you’ll come to enjoying your natural teeth again. The implant is screw made of biocompatible metal that is fitted into the bone where a tooth root used to be. This strong implant is allowed time to heal and integrate with the bone. Later, a crown is designed to be fitted over the cap of the implant.
An implant is a lifelong solution. Because it replaces a natural tooth, you take care of it just as you would a natural tooth with regular brushing and flossing. An implant requires careful planning and preparation, but it could end up being your easiest dental restoration.
Making the Right Choice
Dr. Alizadeh and the rest of our team are happy to offer both bridge and implant restorative options here at Marconi Dental Group. A combination of bridge and implant therapy is also possible! When you schedule a consultation at our Carmichael office, you’ll learn which solution best fits your lifestyle and needs.
