Replacing missing teeth is crucial to long-term oral health, bite functionality, and smile aesthetics. Thanks to advances in dental technology, several options, including dental implants, bridges, and dentures, are available for restoring the form and function of an individual’s smile and bite following tooth loss.
Today, we’re here to explore dental implants, their medical marvels, their myriad benefits, and how they compare to other long-term tooth replacement options.
Dental Implants: The Gold Standard
For several reasons, dental implants are considered the premier tooth loss solution. These tiny titanium posts, implanted in the empty socket in the jawbone, provide a permanent, natural feeling and functioning replacement for natural tooth roots after tooth loss.
From every perspective, dental implants are the gold standard. First and foremost, dental implants offer incredible durability, often lasting multiple decades (and sometimes a lifetime!) without requiring re-treatment. Once fused permanently with the jawbone via osseointegration, they provide a strong and stable foundation for dental restorations like crowns or bridges. This allows for total biting, chewing, laughing, and speaking.
Additionally, by addressing tooth loss at the root in the jawbone, implants provide crucial stimulation that preserves jawbone density, which can deteriorate after tooth loss, damaging both bite integrity and facial structure and appearance in the process. On top of all that, implants don’t rely on adjacent for support, preserving their integrity while also helping to keep them from shifting out of alignment.
It is worth noting that implants require a healthy jawbone for implantation and a greater financial commitment than other tooth replacement solutions.
Implants vs. Dental Bridges and Dentures
Dental bridges and dentures are traditional solutions for replacing missing teeth. Each offers distinct benefits. Bridges effectively restore the function and appearance of a person’s smile and bite by anchoring artificial teeth to dental crowns on adjacent natural teeth. It’s important to consider that bridges do not prevent jawbone deterioration and require modifications to neighboring teeth. Bridges are a popular option for individuals who cannot get dental implants due to bone loss or other health concerns.
Dentures, available as full or partial sets, are removable devices that replace missing teeth and surrounding tissues. Dentures are a flexible, suitable, non-invasive option for patients with varying degrees of tooth loss. Dentures are also generally less expensive and provide a faster solution than implants or bridges.
However, dentures are less comfortable and stable than dental bridges and implants and require regular adjustments and adhesives for stability in the mouth. Also, like bridges, dentures don’t address the jawbone deterioration that accompanies tooth loss.
Precise Dental Implant Placement in St. Augustine, FL
If you’re looking for a dentist in the St. Augustine area to guide you through your tooth replacement options and determine whether dental implants, bridges, or dentures are best suited to your bite and budget, contact Dr. Jeremy Gordon and the outstanding Gordon Dental Associates team to schedule a consultation!