You’ve lost a tooth and you’re now anxiously scrolling through treatment options late at night. The choices probably feel overwhelming. You read that there are dental implants, bridges, and dentures. They are all options for restoring tooth loss, but there are important considerations involving your life, budget, and long-term health.
Here are some quick facts about these options:
- Dental implants are a long-term solution and protect your jawbone after tooth loss
- Bridges provide a fixed solution when you have healthy adjacent teeth for support
- Dentures give you an immediate, budget-friendly way to replace several missing teeth
Option 1: Dental Implants Are the Modern Standard
What exactly is a dental implant? An implant involves several parts. First, there’s a titanium post that your dentist or a specialist will surgically place in your jawbone where your tooth root used to be. That post fuses with your bone while you’re healing, which usually takes several months. Once you’re healed, your dentist will attach a custom crown to the post.
Advantages of Choosing Implants
Dental implants in Marysville preserve your jawbone density because the titanium post stimulates bone growth. This is important because missing teeth can lead to jawbone loss, which can affect your other teeth and facial appearance. An implant allows you to bite with nearly the same force you had with your natural teeth. The teeth next to your missing one remain untouched, unlike with dental bridges. You’ll clean and maintain your dental implants just as you would your natural teeth. With good care, they can last for decades.
Dental Implant Applications
One of the great things about dental implants is that they are a good option for any amount of tooth loss. Whether you’ve lost one tooth, multiple teeth, or an entire arch, implants offer a long-lasting solution. Implant-supported dentures are a related option. They involve two to four implants that serve as anchors for removable dentures, providing better stability.
Option 2: Traditional Dental Bridges Offer a Fixed Solution
We’ve discussed implants. Now, how do dental bridges work? A dental bridge involves your dentist placing two crowns over the healthy teeth on either side of a missing tooth gap. These act as supports for an artificial “bridge” tooth that fills the spot where your missing tooth used to live. Your dentist will reshape your adjacent teeth to accommodate the new crowns. Then, the bridge is permanently cemented.
The Pros and Cons of Dental Bridges
Dental bridges require much less healing time than implants, a few weeks versus months of healing. They also cost less upfront than implants. However, there is a tradeoff. Your dentist will have to remove enamel from two of your healthy, adjacent teeth, permanently altering them. Bridges also don’t prevent bone loss in the way that implants do. Without a root to stimulate jawbone growth, you’ll gradually lose bone.
Expected Lifespan and Maintenance
If you take care of your bridge properly, it will generally last 10-15 years, though there is some variance, depending on several factors. The adjacent teeth anchoring a bridge end up bearing extra pressure as they support the bridge tooth. If you develop decay or gum disease, the entire bridge can fail. If an anchor tooth fails, you’ll lose the bridge and end up with a larger gap.
Option 3: Dentures and Partials Are Removable Options
Onto our final tooth replacement option, which is also the fastest and most wallet-friendly solution to tooth loss. Complete dentures in Marysville are full tooth-replacement options for people who have lost an entire arch of teeth. They rest on top of your gums. Partial dentures are for people who have gaps in several teeth but still have some remaining healthy teeth. You’ll remove both types of dentures every day for cleaning. This makes maintenance easy, but there are downsides.
Overcoming the Challenges of Traditional Dentures
Traditional dentures shift when you chew. This makes many people avoid certain foods because dentures don’t give you enough stability to bite into hard foods. Dentures mean you aren’t replacing your missing tooth roots, so your jawbone isn’t stimulated. This causes bone loss, which means your dentures will need to be replaced or refitted regularly. However, implant-supported dentures are a solution to these problems. Your dentist or surgeon can place several implants to give your dentures secure anchor points, which the dentures snap onto. This form of implant stimulates your jawbone and provides a firm foundation.
Practical Care for Dentures
You’ll remove your dentures every single night. You’ll brush them daily with a special denture cleaner and soak them overnight. You can clean your gums and tongue when your dentures are out at night. Finally, you’ll visit your Marysville dentist regularly for professional cleanings and fit checks.
Are You Missing Teeth? Call Your Marysville Dentist
Your tooth replacement options in Marysville include solutions tailored to your specific needs and budget. This is an important decision, as it will shape how you eat and smile for years to come. At Marysville Family Dentistry, Dr. Halasa and our team can help you decide which option is right for you. If you’re ready, give us a call at (937) 721-2167 to discuss your tooth replacement options in Marysville.