Hi Dental fans, I’m Dr. Rich and today I’m going to talk about what’s better,
a dental implant or a bridge……………………….. And the answer is, it depends. But let me explain.
So in this video I am only going to talk about replacing one missing tooth. I will
talk about replacing multiple teeth in a separate video. If you want to learn what an implant is,
I have another video called “what is a dental implant”. I’ll leave a link to that video
down in the description and up here. If you are missing a tooth and have
teeth on either side of the space, you have 3 replacement options.
Option one is a dental implant like this I can place an implant in the
space and let it heal. It will take about 4 months to heal if it’s in the upper jaw, and about 3
months if it’s in the lower jaw. Once the implant is healed, I’ll make a tooth that fits into the
implant. Start to finish the process takes about 4-5 months. The nice thing about implants is that
I don’t have to touch the teeth on either side of the space. The implant will be free standing.
The downside is that you need to have enough bone in the proper place to support the implant. If you
don’t have enough bone you may need a bone graft, or you might not be a candidate for an implant.
Also, if you have certain medical conditions, such as diabetes or if you are a smoker,
the implant has a lower chance of success. After the implant is in place
to maintain the implant, you just need to brush and floss like you normally do.
An implant won’t get a cavity, but you can get gum disease around it if you don’t keep it clean.
To make you a bridge, I’ll have to trim down the teeth on either side of the space, and make a
temporary bridge out of plastic. Once I get the permanent bridge back from the lab, I will fit it
and cement it into place. This is just an old brass bridge that I made back in dental school.
Nowadays I make porcelain or porcelain fused to metal bridges, they look much better. This process
takes about 2-4 weeks. It’s much quicker than having an implant but now the teeth on either side
of the space are involved. If you have a problem, like getting a cavity on one of those teeth,
I most likely would have to remake the bridge. Some dentists will say that getting a 3 tooth
fixed bridge turns a one tooth problem (a missing tooth) into a three tooth problem (the missing
tooth, plus two capped teeth) This is one of the reasons
permanent 3 tooth bridges are not placed as often as they used to be. Maintaining a permanent bridge requires you brush
as you normally would but you need to floss in a different way. Since all 3 teeth are connected,
you can’t floss like you normally would. you need to use floss threaders to get the floss
under the bridge. It’s an extra step and it takes practice in order to do it properly.
The third option is a removable bridge. If you don’t plan on getting an implant in the future,
I’ll make a traditional removable bridge with a metal framework and a plastic tooth and gums.
This will clip onto your teeth. This process takes a few visits and is usually done in about a month.
It is the least expensive option, roughly half the cost of an implant or a permanent bridge.
The downsides are that you have to take it out to clean it and brush your teeth, and before you go
to bed. All these metal parts and clips trap food when you eat. Also, since it’s removable, if you
eat anything sticky, it will come loose. And I’ve had many patients lose their removable bridges.
So don’t leave it somewhere where the dog can reach it,
most dogs seem to love chewing on them. Also don’t wrap it in a paper towel or tissue and leave it
on the counter. Numerous people have told me they inadvertently threw out their bridges by doing so.
So to sum things up. If you have good jaw bone,
are healthy and want to replace a missing tooth, an implant is probably the best option for you.
If you are missing bone or have health issues and want to replace a missing tooth,
a permanent or removable bridge is probably the best option for you.
If you don’t want to spend a lot of money to replace a missing tooth,
then a removable bridge is probably the best option for you.
If you are missing a tooth without another tooth behind it, the choice is simpler.
For one, a permanent bridge is out. There is no back tooth to anchor the bridge.
So your choice is either an implant or a removable bridge.
Because the removable bridge also has no rear anchor, it will move more.
In this situation, I highly recommend getting a dental implant to replace the missing tooth.
I hope this video gives you some things to think about so that you can talk with your dentist as to
what is the best tooth replacement option for you. Question of the day.
How did you replace your missing tooth? Did you get an implant? A permanent bridge? A
removable bridge? Did you not replace it? Were you happy with your choice? Would you
do it again? What would you recommend? Please leave your comments below.
Thanks very much for watching! And remember to brush and floss.