Anyone dealing with the loss of a single tooth is generally anxious to quickly restore their smile. Smiling in public, talking to others, or eating without pain or messiness can create extreme stress and embarrassment in most everyday situations. While there are other replacement options, dental implants are truly a more desirable option for health, aesthetic, and financial reasons.
- Lower Impact to Adjacent Teeth
When placing a traditional bridge, the teeth adjacent to the missing tooth must be carved down. Even if they are health teeth with no issues, this must be done to accommodate the placement of the bridge. Crowns are then placed on those teeth that have been carved down. This creates a future concern as about 40% of teeth that are shaved down require a future root canal.
Alternatively, dental implants can be placed without affecting the neighboring teeth. The dental implant, and associated crown, will simply fill the open space acting as the natural tooth would. The result being a restored and revitalized smile with no effect on existing, healthy teeth. - Better Long-Term Investment
A bridge generally last 10-12 years before needing replacement work. In fact, Dr. Sambursky speaks to the depth of additional work needed when replacing a bridge after 10 years during a recent interview with Randy Alvarez of The Wellness Hour. He finds that not only is he placing a dental implant for the missing tooth the bridge was intended for, but he is also placing dental implants for the adjacent teeth that need to be carved down. The result is a much higher level of investment. What could have been the expense for one dental implant from the beginning becomes the expense of the bridge, associated work, PLUS the later investment of three dental implants replacing the initial work. - More Visual Appeal
Single dental implants are easier to keep clean than a bridge. In addition, dental implants provide a better overall appearance than a bridge. With bridges, the surrounding gums may recede and expose the metal base or collar. Many patients find this aesthetic effect to be a noticeable drawback of bridges. Put simply a single-tooth dental implant removes this issue.
Stop living with the embarrassment and stress of missing a single tooth. You have questions. A consultation with Dr. Ronald Sambursky and the team at Dental Solutions of Binghamton is a great first step to answers. As a prosthodontist, Dr. Sambursky specializes in restoring and revitalizing smiles with dental implants. Call 607.798.0789 to book your consultation.