If you have one or more missing teeth, you probably struggle with the complications of not replacing them. Fortunately, many different tooth replacement options can help you eliminate the difficulties caused by missing teeth and regain your shiny, healthy, beautiful smile. Here at Pearl Dental Group, our experienced cosmetic dentist and his team offer various tooth replacement options to restore your confident smile. Dental implants and tooth bridges are two popular tooth replacement options that ideally help many patients replace their missing teeth. But the question of many patients is which one they should choose and which can meet their needs better. Although dental implants are significantly beneficial and almost considered the best tooth replacement treatment, traditional fixed bridges still work better for some patients. Learning about the unique advantages and disadvantages of dental implants and tooth bridges is essential to know which one is a more suitable match for your requirements. Briefly, implants are metal posts inserted into your jawbone and then covered by a dental crown to give you a natural-looking smile. At the same time, tooth bridges are more traditional as they make up several crowns that will be bonded to the healthy teeth adjacent to the missing teeth non-surgically. After understanding the different processes of tooth implants and bridges, it’s time to learn about four critical signs indicating you may be a better candidate for tooth bridges rather than dental implants.
You are used to smoking cigarettes.
According to reliable statistics, almost 20 percent of cosmetic implants process fail in smoker patients. Smoking can disturb your recovery process and won’t let your gums get healed to continue the treatment. As the process of getting tooth bridges is non-surgical, no wounds that heal will be created, so the risk of failure will be lessened if you are used to smoking cigarettes.
You have diabetes.
Your implant or cosmetic dentist won’t recommend you to get dental implants if you suffer from diabetes. Diabetic patients often have weakened immune systems, making them more vulnerable to dental infections and other problems. The slow process of wound healing and a high chance of tooth infection are two crucial reasons for dental implant failure in diabetic patients. It explains why tooth bridges are a better choice.
You have to take certain medications.
It’s necessary to tell your cosmetic dentist your medical history and the medications you need to take regularly. Even if you experience an easy procedure like teeth whitening, sharing these details is essential to prevent any problems. Some specific medications can increase the chance of tooth implant failure, so it’s better to choose bridges over implants to protect your oral well-being.
You are dealing with periodontal disease.
Before getting dental implants, your dentist will check if your jawbone and gums are healthy enough. In case of suffering from periodontal problems, you need to undergo proper gum disease treatments to prevent Peri-implantitis and other serious issues. However, some periodontal diseases are hard to eradicate, which is why a dental bridge can be a better option than an implant.
Consult your dentist for more information to make a wise decision and restore your brilliant smile.
