If you have missing teeth you may be weighing up the pros and cons of the various tooth replacement options available. Today our Langley dentists at Willowbrook Dental Centre share some of the pros and cons of dental implants and dental bridges.
If you are looking to replace a number of side-by-side missing teeth, dental bridges and dental implants are both great tooth replacement options to consider.
Dental implants and dental bridges are both natural looking ways to restore the function and appearance of your smile, nonetheless each of these tooth replacement options has their own pros and cons.
Dental Implants
Dental implants are a permanent way to replace a single or multiple missing teeth. Dental implants are tiny titanium rods that are permanently implanted into the jawbone where the roots of the natural tooth would have been. Once dental implants have been surgically placed, they can be capped with a crown, bridge or denture to create a natural looking tooth replacement.
Pros
- Dental implants function much like natural teeth and give your smile a natural feel and appearance.
- Dental implants can last 25 years or more with proper care.
Cons
- The dental implant process can take weeks or even months to complete.
- Bone grafts are often required to strengthen the jawbone before the dental implants can be placed. Bone grafts can take several weeks to heal before implants can be placed.
Dental Bridges
Bridges are not a permanent tooth replacement option. Patients who have experienced deterioration in the jaw bones and gums since the natural teeth were lost often find that a dental bridge is an ideal tooth replacement option. A single tooth or multiple teeth can be replaced by a bridge of artificial teeth, attached to adjacent teeth (or to dental implants) on either side of the gap.
Pros
- Getting a dental bridge placed is a much less invasive process than getting dental implants.
- Even if jawbone deterioration has occurred, no additional bone or gum grafting surgeries will be required in order to place a dental bridge.
Cons
- Bridges are not as durable as dental implants. You can expect a dental bridge to last between 5-15 years.
- In order to hold the bridge in place, the supporting teeth must be prepared by removing a large proportion of the enamel which leads to an increased risk of tooth decay.