Dental Bridges Vs Implants & Dentures
 Missing teeth are a serious oral health issue. Even one missing tooth can have a serious impact. At Bite Lock, you have options for replacing lost teeth. For missing teeth, we use cutting edge technology to combine dentures and implants to give you a permanent and beautiful new smile.
What is a Dental Bridge?
A bridge is a prosthetic device used to replace one to three missing teeth. It is typically made from ceramic and consists of your replacement tooth (or teeth) set between two crowns. The crowns anchor on to your adjacent healthy teeth, holding the bridge in place.
Bridges usually require two visits for placement. During your first visit, your adjacent teeth (abutment teeth) are prepared. This process involves the trimming, or removal, of the enamel of these teeth, which will help to make room for your new restoration. It is done under a local anesthetic. Once the teeth are prepared, impressions are then taken and sent off to the lab, where the bridge is designed and fabricated. When the bridge is ready, it is checked for fit and then cemented into place.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Dental Bridges
Benefits of bridges include:
| • |
The procedure is simple.
|
| • |
It only takes two visits.
|
| • |
Bridges are an affordable option. |
Drawbacks of bridges include:
| • |
They require the removal of enamel from perfectly healthy teeth.
|
| • |
Bridges cannot stop bone loss in your jaw, and therefore will need periodic replacement as your bone weakens. |
What are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are small titanium rods that are surgically inserted into your jawbone. As you heal, your bone fuses to the implants, turning them into a strong, stable support for your new teeth. Implants can replace any number of missing teeth, from as little as one to as many as all.
The procedure for implants is more complex than dental implants. We start by numbing the surgical sites with a local anesthetic. Incisions are made in the gum tissue, and the necessary holes are drilled into the bone. The implants are then set in place, and your gums stitched closed around them. Temporary teeth are given while you heal.
It can take several weeks to several months to heal, depending on the number of implants placed. Once you have healed, impressions are taken to design and fabricate your permanent teeth.
Benefits and Drawback of Implants
There are several benefits to dental implants:
| • |
They look completely natural.
|
| • |
They do not require any enamel removal from adjacent teeth.
|
| • |
They do not rely on other teeth for support (your teeth are supported by the implants).
|
| • |
Implants protect the integrity of your jawbone, providing a permanent solution. |
Despite their many benefits, implants do also have a few drawbacks:
| • |
They require a surgical procedure.
|
| • |
There is a lengthy recovery period, during which regular visits are required to monitor progress.
|
| • |
They require enough bone mass in the jaw for osseointegration.
|
| • |
Implants are more expensive than dental bridges. |
Dentures
 For many, standard traditional dentures seem like the only option. While this is not quite true, there are several reasons why you should not depend on dentures as a long-term solution to tooth loss. As you age, they can cause a great many more problems and even inhibit you from being able to get better solutions later on.
Dentures are a dental prosthetic that is designed to replace missing teeth after a patient has lost their teeth from disease or trauma. Dentures are molded plastic designed to look like teeth and gums. They are available as partial dentures, customized to fit your missing teeth, and as full dentures.
The problem with dentures is keeping them in place. Traditional full dentures are held in place through suction or the use of an adhesive. Neither of these options is permanent, and both are known for frequent failure, causing embarrassment and social anxiety. Traditional partial dentures are held in place using a clasp system that is designed to fit around existing teeth, often causing scratching to the enamel and other damage. Both partial dentures and full dentures can be permanently secured to a solid post, keeping them in place, known as a dental implant.
What Could Go Wrong?
First off, dentures seem affordable. However, over the years, they may not be as cost effective as you think. Dentures are affordable in the beginning, but break down over a relatively short span. You should expect to purchase a new set every couple of years, along with the extra expenses of accessories to go along with them to keep them clean. Dentures are also not very natural looking. While our BiteLock system looks just like natural teeth, many sets of dentures are very obviously false teeth and can cause a level of embarrassment or a lowered self-esteem within patients who feel that everyone can see the difference.
On a different level, dentures can cause more than cosmetic and financial problems. As you age, you are likely to experience bone loss. Dentures accelerate this process, putting a strain on your gums where there shouldn't necessarily be any and can cause that bone loss to move rapidly throughout your mouth. This can cause a change in appearance, a change in the fit of your dentures (again causing you to have to buy another pair), or a potential for such significant bone loss that you couldn't get implants or anything of the like if/when you need them later on.
Denture Care
The procedures for taking care of your dentures also deters people from getting them as a long-term solution. You have to treat them differently, removing and brushing and soaking them daily. They require different procedures for upkeep along with different things you need to buy for them such as special brushes, cleaners, and cases. Finally, dentures can be embarrassing. They can move in your mouth, which can lead to them falling out, sliding into your throat and causing gagging, clicking during speech, eating, or kissing, and more. This is humiliating to the wearer and another reason that many denture wearers regret their choice or go in for a different solution.
Upgrade from Dentures with Dental Implants
Patients who require dentures now have options that can upgrade their device. Dental Implants can work in tandem with dentures to significantly improve your wear and function. If you have only seen loose dentures, our staff at BiteLock want to show you what a difference implants can make. Securing your dentures with implants can truly allow you to eat that cob of corn, and feel confident in your dentures staying in place. Whether you are new to dentures or have already been wearing them for years, ask our office how you can permanently secure your denture in place. Having your denture secured with between four and six implants will vastly improve your comfort and chewing function.
Whatever your situation, we here at BiteLock can help you find a perfect solution. Our staff is intelligent an experienced and we can help you to get yourself to a place of comfortability, happiness, and confidence. If you are struggling with dentures or looking for a long-term solution and wondering if dentures are the right option for you, call us today at (972) 594-7414 for answers to any of your questions and advice from our expert team. |
