Should You Choose a Bridge or Dental Implant to Replace That Missing Tooth?

When you visit our dentist in Downham Market then you will find we do everything we can to restore badly damaged teeth. We will only ever extract the tooth if it is the best possible solution. If you do need a tooth removed then it’s a good idea to think about its replacement as soon as possible. This is because even missing a single tooth can affect the health of your remaining natural teeth. When you lose a tooth it allows the teeth adjacent to the gap to begin drifting out of position which has a destabilising effect and it can also affect your bite. We can talk to you about the various options for replacing teeth and which include a dental bridge or dental implants in Downham Market.

What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages Of a Dental Bridge?

The main advantage of having a dental bridge is that treatment can be completed quite quickly. We take a great deal of care when designing any dental bridge to make sure it looks very natural. Once it is in place it should be easy to get used to and you will be able to bite and chew properly. The possible downside of having a dental bridge is that we do need to shape the teeth adjacent to the gap. This means removing quite a bit of tooth structure as these teeth have to be crowned. The crowns are then attached to the replacement tooth which is called a pontic, creating a bridge that can be cemented in place. Removing this tooth structure might not be a problem if these teeth already have quite large fillings or could really do with being crowned but if they are quite healthy and nicely shaped then this may not be the best option and you might want to consider a dental implant.

What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of a Dental Implant?

The main advantage of having a single dental implant is that it can look amazing. Just like your natural tooth, your implant tooth will emerge from your gum making it virtually impossible for anyone to tell you ever lost a tooth. Another advantage of having a dental implant is that it helps to preserve your jawbone, preventing the loss of bone cells that naturally occurs once teeth roots are removed. It will also help ensure your natural teeth remain in the correct positions. There will be no need for our dentist in Downham Market to reshape these teeth in any way as the implant is self-supporting and consists of a titanium post that is inserted into your jawbone. One possible downside of this treatment is the time needed to complete it as the implant post needs several months to integrate with your jawbone before it can be fully restored with the implant crown. In spite of this, dental implants in Downham Market are worthy of careful consideration. They are largely regarded as being one of the best developments in dental technology over the past few decades and provided you look after your dental implant correctly, it should last for many years.

If you are interested in finding out more about dental implants in Downham Market or are facing tooth loss and need some advice, please contact Downham Market Dental Care for a consultation. Call us on 01366 382265.