Dentures, Bridges, or Dental Implants?

Steve is a 60-year-old male patient who replaced his missing teeth with removable dentures. Steve chose dentures because he lost half of his upper arch of teeth in a bicycle accident.

Steve’s tooth replacement selection consists of an arch of replacement teeth anchored into a base of moldable plastic that matches his gum tissue.

Benefits

Dentures are a great tooth replacement option for patients who:

• Are looking for an affordable option that’s easy to get
• Want a custom set of dentures tailored to their unique bite
• Seek a tooth replacement solution that’s made in just a few weeks
• Want improved functionality without surgery or altering the structure of surrounding teeth

Drawbacks

Although Steve enjoys his new smile, he admits that there are a few disadvantages to dentures:

• Dentures can be uncomfortable sometimes
• They look less natural than other tooth replacement options
• They don’t stop bone deterioration, which occurs when teeth are missing for many years
• Dentures can result in a sunken facial appearance and premature wrinkles
• Some patients may have difficulty speaking and chewing

Carmen is a 34-year-old female patient who chose a dental bridge as her tooth restoration option. She was missing two front teeth, so the bridge was permanently attached to her surrounding teeth.

Once her procedure was initiated, her adjacent natural teeth were filed down to provide space for the two replacement teeth. To get started, her natural teeth needed to be free from decay and structurally sound.

Benefits

Carmen did a lot of comparison shopping before she made her tooth replacement selection. She chose this treatment because:

• Bridges are less expensive than other restoration options
• No surgery is required
• New prosthetic teeth are installed faster than other treatments
• Bridges offer less risk since parts could be replaced without significant pain or effort

Drawbacks

According to Carmen, there are a few downsides to her bridge:

• This option isn’t reversible — once natural teeth are ground down for anchors to a dental bridge, they can never be normal again
• This process could increase the future risk of decay or root canal treatment

Norman is a 57-year-old male patient with several teeth missing after suffering from issues with gum disease when he was younger. After doing research on his treatment options, he discovered that dental implants were the gold standard of care for tooth replacement.

His restoration was based upon a foundation of titanium roots that were permanently connected to his jawbone. Once this part healed, the pieces fused with his jawbone to create a strong and permanent anchor for his natural-looking replacement teeth.

Benefits

Norman loves his dental implants because:

• They’re a permanent solution for missing teeth
• They look and function just like natural teeth
• Implants are the only tooth replacement op that can reduce or eliminate jawbone deterioration
• They can be maintained with daily brushing, flossing, and regular dental exams

Drawbacks

There aren’t many, but dental implants do have a few potential drawbacks:

• Typically, implants aren’t fully covered by dental insurance
• The implant process can be long, compared to other options that are completed in a few weeks
• Dental implants require multiple office visits over the course of three to six months
• Supplementary procedures like bone grafts and tissue augmentation may be required for some patients

However, on the whole, Norman loves his treatment choice and insists that he only wishes he had gotten dental implants sooner.