Dental Implants, Bridges or Dentures?
Missing teeth can be replaced with dental implants, bridges or dentures. Each option has its pro's and cons, depending on the health of your teeth and your budget.
Dr. Bursich is very familiar with all of your tooth-replacement options, and will be glad to help you find the best solution for your dental health and your budget.
No matter which solution you ultimately choose to restore your teeth, Dr. Bursich will give you the highest-quality treatment and materials available.
Your options for tooth replacement
Dental Implants: A dental implant is a tooth that feels and functions like a natural tooth. It is a permanent fixture of titanium posts anchored to the jawbone and topped with individual replacement teeth or a bridge that screws or cements into the posts. Read more about Dental Implants here.
Bridges: A bridge is a dental restoration that spans an area that has no teeth and is connected to natural teeth at each end. A typical bridge consists of a pontic (a filler tooth) that is attached to two surrounding abutments (crowns). After completion, this bridge structure is then bonded into the mouth. Read more about Bridges here.
Dentures: Dentures, partial or complete, replace either the bottom arch or the top arch of your mouth. Read more about Dentures here.
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Advantages of Dental Implants over Bridges
Advantages of Bridges over Dental Implants
Advantages of Dental Implants over Dentures
Are You a Candidate for Dental Implants?
Advantages of Dental Implants over Bridges
- Your mouth will be restored as closely as possible to its natural state
- Deter further tooth loss. When a bridge "goes bad", it usually means the loss of one or more teeth that support the bridge
- Don't need to cut down adjacent teeth to fit the Bridge over them.
The above middle tooth is an implant.
The two middle teeth are implants.
This patient received two single implants: Before implants.
After implants.
Advantages of Bridges over Dental Implants
- Dental Implants can take longer to place. From extraction to healing to implant placement, it can be several months before you get a functional crown.
- Dental implants involve surgery.
- The initial cost of an implant will be higher than that of a fixed bridge.
Advantages of Dental Implants over Dentures
- Your mouth will be restored as closely as possible to its natural state.
- Implants are permanently fixed and won't loosen.
- Keeps you looking younger by preventing shrinkage of jawbone.
- Deter further bone loss.
- No adhesives.
- Allow you to eat all foods.
Lower dentures with implants.
Full dentures supported by implants.
This patient received a combination of implants and dentures, which is a preferable alternative to dentures alone.
Are you a candidate for dental implants?
The ideal candidate for a dental implant is in good general and oral health. Adequate bone in your jaw is needed to support the implant. Some people who have lost bone in their jaw can still get implants, but the bone must first be rebuilt using special bone-grafting procedures.
If your bone structure is adequate and bone-grafting is not required, the permanent dental implant, post and tooth restoration can be placed in one visit.
People who are currently wearing partial or full dentures can replace these with dental implants, or use implants to stabilize and secure the denture, making it much more comfortable.
