Only Missing One Tooth? Why a Dental Implant Is Better Than a Bridge

When you lose a single tooth, you're likely left annoyed at the nuisance it causes you. Having a missing tooth can not only impact the way that your smile works, but it can also make chewing and talking irritating. If you want to get your tooth replaced as quickly as possible, you likely know that dentures are out of the question for a single missing tooth, but both implants and bridges are a possibility. Here's why a dental implant is a better choice for you than a bridge.

How Dental Implants Work

Dental implants are designed to mimic the way that a real tooth sits and works. A real tooth, you see, is set deep down in your jaw, with the jaw bone wrapped around it. When the tooth is healthy, pressure traveling through the tooth stimulates the jaw to grow new bone cells, and the jaw grows stronger, supporting the tooth in turn. Dental implants work this way too, as they allow pressure to travel the same way as a real tooth.

In addition, dental implants are a great choice because they're the longest-lasting tooth replacement method out there, and they're practically impossible to tell apart from real teeth. Once the crown is in place, no one will be able to tell that you have an artificial tooth any more than they could tell if you had a standard dental crown put on to cover a hole left behind by a bad cavity.

Bridges Might Not Be Ideal 

While bridges are a valid option, they also have some significant downsides. For starters, bridges can create wear and tear on the remaining teeth that you have, which could cause or accelerate the surrounding teeth breaking down. The reason for this is that dental bridges form a literal connection between the two teeth on either side of the dental gap. Dental wire is used to secure the new artificial teeth to these two. But anytime you chew or bite down on that tooth, stress is put on these surrounding teeth, which can cause problems in the long run.

To prevent this problem, dental implants are often utilized before getting a bridge anyway. Implants are inserted when multiple missing teeth are an issue, and the implants form the support for the bridge. This won't be a possibility for you since you're only missing one tooth since dental implants have benefits that can even serve those getting dental bridges.

Talk to a dentist if you're ready to learn more about dental implants and get started.

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