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Dental Bridges vs Implants

Shawn | Sep 1, 2010 |

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A dental bridge is a manufactured replacement for a tooth, getting its name from the fact that the false tooth gets its support from the two teeth adjacent to it. The false tooth in effect hangs in the gap (not literally, it is supported from the gum as well) and gives the impression that all your teeth are the originals. Many patients opt for a bridge simply because of its ease of application. The procedure does not require general anesthesia, and only involves a little bit of prep work. Because the bridge relies on the adjacent teeth, they will become part of the prosthetic and will need to capped as a result.

With recent changes in dental technology, procedures involving ceramic braces, tooth implants, root canals, and other dental surgeries have become quicker and easier than ever. However, lingering questions and horror stories about the dentist remain, and most are loathe to voluntarily have any sort of dental surgery as a result, the debate of dental bridges vs implants continues to wage. Before coming to any conclusions regarding the correct choice for you, or more likely, the choice that gets you out of the dentist's chair the quickest, take some time to examine the advantages and disadvantages of each procedure.

Implants, require extensive prep work and can take literally months to be completed. The procedure involves the drilling of titanium into the jawbones, whereupon the bone and gum will grow around and fully integrate with the metal. Once completed, a tooth that is fully functional independent of the other teeth in your mouth will be the result. The entire procedure is lengthy, costly, and has a chance that the metal will become infected or inflamed, resulting in the necessity to have the implant removed taking bone and gum with it. With all this taken into consideration, why would anyone choose implants over a dental bridge?

To be blunt, implants are simply better. If the operation takes, which it likely will, the tooth becomes as sturdy and permanent as any other in your mouth. They are virtually identical in look, feel, and function. With a ninety percent success rate, really the only considerations of implant surgery have to do with the length of time required and the price of the surgery. Bridges, on the other hand, eventually get worn and will occasionally have to be replaced. They lack the strength of the implant and should anything happen to the support teeth, the bridge as a whole may not be viable, and a new one will have to be implanted.

Essentially the debate stems from either financial constraints or from the initial pain and discomfort associated with the implant. The bridge is a quick, easy solution but lacks the legitimacy of the implant an implant is lengthy and costly but will last for the rest of your life. There is also the problem that implants are only viable options for people who have a large enough jaw to accept the metal. If you have a smaller jawbone, then there may be no debate at all those who are ineligible have no choice but to install a bridge.