SERVING PITTSBURGH, ALLISON PARK, AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS OF PENNSYLVANIA
If you are considering replacing your missing tooth or teeth, you may have decided you want a permanently fixed restoration that does not slip out when you’re eating or talking and limit your ability to eat your favorite foods. If so, you have two different tooth replacement options: dental implants and dental bridges.
This page can help you understand the basic differences between these two types of restorations, but the only way to know which one will best meet your needs is to talk to a dentist in person. In Pittsburgh, please call 412-487-6910 or email Dentonics, Inc today to schedule an appointment.
Understanding Your Options
Dental bridges are restorations that use dental crowns placed over neighboring teeth to support a false tooth. The single-piece restoration turns the three teeth into a single fixed unit.
Dental implants are restorations that work more like the natural tooth they replace. A dental implant has an artificial tooth root, generally made of titanium, but sometimes of another material that is as strong and safe, and a dental crown, made of advanced ceramic composite. Your teeth remain separate, and all are anchored in the jawbone.
When a Dental Bridge Might Be the Best Choice
A dental bridge is a great restoration if you do not have enough bone density or thickness to support a dental implant.
A dental bridge might also be a good option if your teeth on either side of the gap are already damaged and require restorations such as a dental crown.
When a Dental Implant Might Be the Best Choice
In general, dental implants are the favored restoration. One of the main benefits of dental implants is that they do not require the alteration of your adjacent teeth. Any time your natural teeth are altered, they are weakened and their lifetime may be shortened. Another important benefit of dental implants is that they support and stimulate your bones and gums to help them remain healthy.
Dental implants are also capable of filling gaps that are larger than one tooth. Depending on the location of your lost tooth, your biting force may be too great for dental bridges longer than three units (one replacement tooth and two supporting crowns), but since dental implants can be anchored in the bone as frequently as necessary, they can be used to replace as many lost teeth as necessary.
An Evaluation by an Implant Dentist
At Dentonics, Inc, we have an in-house surgeon that can place your dental implants, so we don’t have to refer you out for the surgical portion of the procedure. It also means we can perform a comprehensive evaluation of your situation to determine if you are a good candidate for either a dental bridge or a dental implant.
If you want to be evaluated by an implant dentist and learn the best tooth replacement option for you, please contact Dentonics, Inc in Pittsburgh today for an appointment.
