For those who have multiple missing or highly damaged teeth, combining dental implants with either denture or prosthetic dental bridges can restore their smile. Depending on your needs and after consultation with a qualified cosmetic dentist like Dr. Taylor, you can determine which of these dental options would best suit your needs.
Anchoring A Dental Bridge With Dental Implants
Traditional dental bridges are secured to nearby teeth. This can be very damaging to the teeth the bridge is secured to, as they will be ground down and crowned so the dental bridge can be secured. It leaves a higher margin for infection as well.
With a dental bridge anchored by dental implants, you can save your natural teeth the trauma of having the bridge affixed to them. Instead, your dentist will implant titanium posts directly into your jaw. In time, the titanium posts will fuse with your jaw bone, offering a high level of stability to your implanted bridge. After the area heals, your permanent bridge will be attached to the posts.
Some other things to consider when looking to have an implanted dental bridge are:
- Can last for 10-15 years, depending on the care given to maintain the implanted bridge.
- Preserves jaw bone density better than a traditional dental bridge.
- Can be costly, depending on how large a space the implanted dental bridge needs to fill.
- Gives you strong and stable new teeth.
Using Implants To Secure Dentures
Choosing implanted dentures is a good option when the majority of your natural teeth are not salvageable. Traditional dentures are similar to implanted dentures. They both replace all your teeth on any jaw where they are installed. However, where the traditional dentures simply rest on top of the gum and potentially irritate it, implanted dentures stay secured to your jaw via implanted titanium posts. This makes implanted dentures much more secure than traditional dentures.
Some other things to consider when looking to have an implanted dentures are:
- Can last for 8-10 years, depending on the level of care.
- While it preserves jaw bone density better than removable dentures, it still is usually less than an implanted dental bridge. It depends on how many titanium posts your dentist uses to anchor your fixed dentures.
- Implanted dentures are a more affordable option than an implanted dental bridge as they can be fabricated more easily than an implanted bridge.
- Gives you greater stability than traditional removable dentures can claim. As the posts will keep the dentures steady, you will not experience the discomfort of having your dentures slip as you talk and eat.
With the advancements in dental technology, no one needs to settle for inferior dental options. Be sure to contact us today and see which of these excellent implant options would best suit your needs.
