Dental Implants vs Bridge??

I chose a bridge. The implants seem either very good or very bad - very good if a person doesn't have a negative reaction to them, VERY bad if a person does. A colleague of mine has had to get all his implants removed due to bone infections. Some were removed TWO years after they were put in. It's been truly horrible for him. But for the people who don't have negative reactions, it seems to be better than a bridge because it's permanent. I needed crowns on my two adjoining teeth, anyway, so filing down the teeth for the bridge was not a concern. Both my parents have had bridges for 30 years without replacement, so they can last a long time!

I have had an implant and a co-worker has them for her front teeth and no pain. There was a bit of discomfort at first but now, no problem. A woman I used to work with always had to have her bridge fixed.

I'm a dental hygienist and while I do not have any implants myself, I have seen many patients with bridges and implants. I would recommend the implants if you're financially able to get them. They help to maintain healthy bone levels and are the next best thing to your own teeth. While bridges work well, they are difficult to keep clean and can cause gum problem if you're not meticulous with your hygiene. As far as pain, I have two brothers who have implants (they happen to be dentists) and they have not had any trouble. Make sure the doctor placing the implants has plenty of experience, ask how many cases he has completed. Just my thoughts. Good luck.

I have 6 dental implants and LOVE them. I was born without 10 of my permanent teeth...so I had a lot of space. Luckily I have a small mouth. Long story short...as short as I can make it...after I had had my orthodontic work as a teenager, the dentist didn't feel implants were good enough yet for me to get them. Said if I was his daughter he would wait. Also, as young as I was and with such promising info coming out about implants, I didn't want to do a partial that couldn't be reversed. So I did wait....about 20 years until I could afford them. I wore retainers and partials that whole time. Did not get a bridge because 2 of the teeth I am missing are the two next to the front two. When you get a bridge, they must file down the teeth next to it to attach the bridge. I didn't want that in the front of my mouth. I was very self conscience about my smile. Luckily the other missing teeth weren't visable.

So I started the process about 5 years ago and am finally done!! I love them. I have no pain at all!! They are just like regular teeth...although you have no feeling in them. It is a long process...but be patient and it is worth it. I had amazing doctors. I was considered quite young to be getting implants (37 when I started). Most of their patients are older. The surgeries are fine as long as you don't have to get a bone graph. I did have to get a bone graph with 2 of mine, and those were painful. But the times I just had the implants done, I was fine the following day.

The thing with bridges is that they have to take away from other teeth to attach them. My dr. did not want to do that. Why mess with another tooth.

Do your research and find good drs. I had two main dr. that worked on mine...the oral surgeon who implanted to "screw" (you have to wait 3-5 months after this is done for the "screw" to fuse with the bone) and the dentist who did the crown (tooth) that screwed into the "screw"

Be VERY leary of places that say they can do implants in one day!!!
After all I've been through I do not know how it is possible to get the best care that way.

Good luck to your husband...dental work is no fun...but worth it in the long run.

I would do the bridge-i am freaked out by implants. I would only consider them if they would make a significant cosmetic difference.

Dental implants offer multiple advantages over dental bridges. The following video explains the Pros and Cons of both in very easy to understand language.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fYXNhMnz_E

Bridges:
Pro 1: They are very quick. A bridge can be finished in as little as a day if the dentist has an in-office CEREC machine. If not, the bridge can usually be finished in a week or two by sending it to the lab.

Con 1: Bridges require teeth adjacent to the missing tooth space to be cut.
Con 2: When teeth are cut for bridges, they sometimes end up needing root canals.
Con 3: Bridge teeth can still get cavities.
Con 4: Bridge teeth can still get cracks in the roots.
Con 5: Bridges have a lifespan of only 10.1 years according to some studies.
Con 6: Bridges do not preserve bone. The longer you have a bridge, the more bone you can lose at the spot where the tooth is missing.

Implants:
Con 1: Dental implants are a slow process taking up to 3 months to heal before the tooth can be put on the implant.

Pro 1: Dental implants have up to a 98+% long term success rate.
Pro 2: Dental implants do not decay.
Pro 3: Dental implants do not crack.
Pro 4: Dental implants do not require the cutting of additional teeth.
Pro 5: Dental implants do not need root canals.
Pro 6: Dental implants can be placed in positions where bridges cannot (ie. the last tooth in the mouth.) A bridge cannot be placed here because there is no back tooth for the bridge to sit on.

The cost of a bridge and dental implant are about equal. If a bridge ends up needing root canals, the bridge will cost more. If the dental implant requires bone grafting, the implant will cost more. One thing to consider is that if you get a bridge and it fails you are back to square one and you will now need to get an implant anyway!

Hope this helps!

A bridge isn't the most desirable for long-term solutions. They eventually have to be replaced, they break, and you have to destroy the teeth next to the teeth you are replacing.

With an implant, once the healing process is complete and the crown is placed it's just like your own tooth. They don't really screw in per se. There are many different types of implant systems. The bone grows thru most of them so they are securely anchored in your jaw.

People all experience different levels of pain and their tolerance of pain so please don't go by one person's experience. Once the implants are done you shouldn't experience any long-term pain. They just become part of your jaw essentially.

Schedule a consultation with a qualified periodontist. They spend an additional 3 years beyond dental school (so 7 years total in school) to specialize in gum surgery and dental implants. You do not want a general dentist placing your implants. They take a weekend course and off they go. Not what you want!

I would consider the implants if I had all my teeth come in. That is because you are putting teeth in the holes that you pulled the reals ones out and that does not include any missing teeth. Many years ago I asked the dentist about this and he suggested the bridge because they could recreate the missing teeth which I did. Now that I am nearing retirement it is time to do a new (the original is 50 years old) so there is a plus and a minus. The pain that I had was minimal.

It is us to you guys to decide and that many mean a financial decision. Good luck to you.

The other S.

My sister had a tooth that just never came in. She had it on a retainer for quite some time, and finally had the implant. She never even thinks about it anymore. It was painful like any dental procedure, but I don't think any more than that (she is a wimp for pain, so I would have heard of it), and has absolutely no pain associated with it now. She wished that she could have gotten it earlier!