For many cases of tooth loss, dental implants top all other alternatives by offering long-term reliability and stability topped only by the efficacy of natural teeth. But when it comes to replacing a tooth, or just a few teeth, dental bridges can offer some compelling reasons to give them serious consideration. Take a look at how dental implants and bridges compare to get a better idea about which route is best for you.
How Dental Implants Compare to Bridges
The biggest difference between conventional bridges and dental implants is how they’re affixed to the mouth. Dental implants are inserted into the jawbone, just like natural teeth, delivering long-term stability for attachments such as dental crowns. Dental bridges fill in for missing teeth by anchoring a set of dental crowns to natural teeth flanking the gap.
So, the function of dental implants and bridges are separate and distinct, though the two work best when they work together.
How Bridges Are Better with Implants
Dental implants make bridges better. Implant-supported bridges are anchored to dental implants instead of being affixed to natural teeth. Dental implants won’t make bridges look more or less realistic, but they will deliver the stability that’ll make them work more realistically.
When Bridges Work Best Alone
Dental implant surgery is life-changing, whether you need to replace a full set of teeth or just a few of them. However, the prices of the parts and the costs of the surgeries needed to place dental implants can put them out of reach for many people.
Opting to go for a dental bridge can be a much more affordable solution for placing missing teeth, rather than ponying up the funds to pay for a dental implant – which can cost upwards of $6,000 for the parts alone in many areas of the country. If you want the best tooth replacement solutions, ask your dentist about ways to finance dental implants.
Find Out More
Take a moment to schedule a consultation with a local dentist to learn more about your options for getting dental implants in Round Rock, TX and Austin, TX.