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Assuming you're qualified for both the implant and the bridge and they both have a good long-term outlook, some of the decision-making factors are:
1. How old are you? Implants are preferred for younger people because the tooth has to last longer. Bridges can have a lifespan similar to implants, but since they alter adjacent teeth, it can cause problems for those teeth as well. Thus, it's better not to mess with teeth that don't need to. If you're older, then you may not need to replace the tooth or need to replace it only once. So a bridge in this case isn't so bad.
2. Esthetics. Implants can provide excellent esthetics, but they can also provide extremely poor esthetics, especially in the front. If you bone and, especially, the gums maintain excellent architecture, then you'll be hard-pressed to know it's an implant. However, when the bone is resorbed or the gums shrink, you'll easily spot the implant.
3. Hygiene. The #1 cause of failure of implants is gum-disease. Implants require extremely good hygiene. Bridges also require good hygiene, but are less sensitive than implants. Bridges do require better hygiene than natural teeth, though.
4. Health status. Implants are contra-indicated in people with poor gums, smokers, diabetics, people taking osteoporosis medications, etc. Some disqualifiers are changing, such as smoking. In these cases, healing is retarded so the implant may not hold.
5. Other criteria have been mentioned below. This list is not exhaustive.
You can have an implant placed by specialists (oral surgeon, periodontist, or prosthodontist) or by a general dentist. Bridges can be made by either a prosthodontist or general dentist. Should you see one versus the other? It depends on who it is you're seeing. Some general dentists are excellent at implants, while some oral surgeons are horrible at it. It really depends on how much training and experience they've had, and you can't tell by the diploma on the wall. On average, the periodontist will have placed the most implants though. They're also gum specialists so they tend to pay attention to the fine details of gum esthetics.
Implant success rates are very good. But so are bridges. For me and my family, I'd choose implants.
This is a good point. The only caveat is that if BOTH adjacent teeth have root canals, you have to be careful that they're not so weak that a bridge can't be supported.
Another alternative is to place implants in select spots and have an implant-supported partial denture. Depending on the partial denture it can provide both stability and retention.
I'm not sure what the success rate of bonding procedures are. There are two ways to fix porcelain chips (besides replacing the whole thing). First, you can bond a white filling onto the material. The other is that you can make a veneer and glue it onto the crown. The most important question to figure out is why the porcelain chipped in the first place. It is probably not because of the root canal procedure. The most common cause is that the porcelain is too thin. A bonding or veneer won't fix that. You would need a new crown to create a thicker porcelain layer.
Implants are not necessarily longer-lasting than bridges. Did you know some bridges are 50 years old? Can you find an implant that old? You'd be hard-pressed to find research that pinpoints the life-span of implants, but it's enough to say that both options have merit and are long-lasting solutions (though not permanent. Nothing except your own tooth is permanent.). Some implants are not as complicated as you think. The right general dentist is more than qualified to place implants. Generally, the more implants placed, or the more complicated the situation, the better the dentist or specialist must be. Front teeth also require special care. There are several general dentists I would let place implants in my mouth.
Maryland bridges have fallen out of favor. You are correct that the adjacent teeth are not cut. However, because of that you rely on cement to hold the bridge in place. The problem comes when one cement bond breaks, while the other holds. It's enough to keep the bridge in place and you don't know the bridge is failing. Meanwhile food and debris get under the broken cement seal and cause cavities. Maryland bridges have a lower average life span as well.
The implant is very, very close to your own tooth. The biggest difference is that it doesn't move. Believe it or not, your natural teeth move, but you can't tell. They have slight "give" so that your bite is cushioned. Not so for an implant.
Hardly anyone under the age of 999 wants a partial denture. That's not a typo on the age!
Sorry for the long post. Just wanted to clarify some points.
Implants are absolutely NOT contraindicated in smokers and the other factors you listed. The success rates are lower. As opposed to 95%, the go down to about 85% but definitely NOT a contraindication. Many factors can cause implants to fail but with advancements in implants today, smoking, diabetes and osteoporosis are NOT contraindications.
I've been given the option of replacing the tooth with a bridge or with an implant.
The implant will be a 5 month process and during that time, my missing tooth will be exposed when I smile. Also, the implant procedure is a surgical one versus the bridge which is not.
The bridge is quick and easy.
The cost is slightly higher for the implant, but not much more.
I'm opting for the bridge.
Any recommendations?
Thanks, CaTe
IMPLANT!!!!!!
Well worth the aggrevation!!! Plus, bridges can break and cause even more worries/work.
I've had my implant for twelve years now and love it!!!!!!
well, went to get the 2nd opinion, who told me that getting the bone graft was not a waste of money - that no matter what I did, it would always be good to have for the future; and he said that the space is too large for a bridge; he told me also that i need 2 implants @ $1250 each, with an "abutment fee" of $1000 for each, so the total treatment plan is $6309. I have delta and i think they are sposed to cover 80% up to $2K annually. but i liked this dentist right away. he was an older man and i could tell he was very experienced, and i liked all his staff. the POD could not keep staff, every time I went she had different people; which means that she is not easy to work for, also, i really did not like how she treated her staff and talked "over" me to whomever was assiting her about her personal life - she was so unprofessional. i am happy with this new dentist, he is a DMD, and i feel like i can trust him, even tho he is a good distance from where i live, worth the trip. thanks for your posts and information. keep smiling!
I have a question I hope someone can answer. I started my implant in November 2009. They drilled in the jawbone and everything seemed fine. Went every two weeks for x-rays. The only issue I had from the implant was that I became sensitive to cold and hot drinks,foods. Fast forward...last week, they took out the screw, did the impression for the tooth, took a bunch of x-rays and I went home. A few days later I was having a lot of pain that came and went. I didn't have any infection and everything looked okay. As of today at 4 am I woke up to pain and had to take Motrin. Later today I had an appointment with the dentist and they finally put the tooth in. With all the messing around in my mouth today, it did not bring on the pain I was experiencing. So he has no idea what is causing it. But now I have so much discomfort....not pain from the tooth being put in. Is this normal.
After reading this post, I wish I went to an oral surgeon. But I have faith in my dentist. However, the oral surgeon would have been the proper way to go.
FYI, I paid for the 1 implant $3700 total.
Can anyone tell me what they felt after their tooth was put in and how long did you feel that way?
I need advice. my central incisor and lateral incisor are missing. The two canine teeth are fine. I am considering replacing the central and lateral incisor but not sure whether to go with a bridge or implants. I'm about 60 years. Any thoughts. I have done quite a bit of research, spoken to a couple of dental specialist but still cannot make up my mind. I was told to fix a bridge they will need to perform root canal and grind my canine.
Thanks
I'm not sure if anyone replies to this thread anymore but I have a question on this topic and I really hope that someone can help me out.
I broke my two front, top teeth half way off when I was 7 years old. My dentist did a full root canal on both teeth and put bonding on them until my wisdom teeth were removed and all my adult teeth came in. Life happened, my wisdom teeth all came out but my front teeth were never crowned because of my lack of insurance and money. 20 years later one of them has failed. I have an abscess above the tooth on the gums that has created a fistula and is leaking. I also have an abscess on the lower right side (unrelated to the two front). I just recently went to the dentist to discuss what I needed to do and she gave me a lot of options but I just don't know what to do. She suggested that we do a bridge or an implant. A crown would solve the future problem with the other front tooth that is not yet affected my infection but would grind down a perfectly healthy tooth on the other side. I am concerned about the crown because of rumors of gum recession on neighboring teeth. Also, It being my front teeth I want it to look as natural as possible which is why the implant is slightly more appealing to me. Plus I can always get a second implant in the future for my other front tooth. I am concerned about the other infection in the lower tooth if I go with the implant option. It seems dangerous to have bone healing in my mouth while a lower tooth has an active infection. What do I do? I have no dental insurance but I am working on getting a small loan to do the procedures because my health and self image are declining.
I'm new here, I'm not sure that I am able to post a new question.
My daughter broke my upper front tooth. The crack is too deep it got into the gum line. My dentist suggest an implant, that means he will pull the tooth and give me an implant. The problem is my jawbone is too thin, he said he needs to do bone grafting and wait for the bone/jaw to heal to start the implant, and if the bone grafting (1st time) is not enough, he will have to do another round of bone grafting. The whole procedure costs me almost 5,000 and I don't have dental insurance.
Last night I suddenly thought, why can't save the tooth's root and get a dental bridge! The tooth is partially root canal-ed, I can come in for the remaining root canal procedure, then get a dental bridge for the missing tooth and the 2 adjacent teeth.
Can this be done? I read about post and core, but I'm not sure that could be done in my case. I just want to keep the old root after all the nerves have been pulled out (root canal). I hate to go through implant and bone grafting, and because the bridging procedure will be less complicated I can get it done in my country for less than a quarter of the price, and can be done within a short amount of time. By the way, my other upper front tooth is also thin, so I would not feel so bad putting a crown on it. Any advice please. Thanks so much!
I'm new here, I'm not sure that I am able to post a new question.
My daughter broke my upper front tooth. The crack is too deep it got into the gum line. My dentist suggest an implant, that means he will pull the tooth and give me an implant. The problem is my jawbone is too thin, he said he needs to do bone grafting and wait for the bone/jaw to heal to start the implant, and if the bone grafting (1st time) is not enough, he will have to do another round of bone grafting. The whole procedure costs me almost 5,000 and I don't have dental insurance.
Last night I suddenly thought, why can't save the tooth's root and get a dental bridge! The tooth is partially root canal-ed, I can come in for the remaining root canal procedure, then get a dental bridge for the missing tooth and the 2 adjacent teeth.
Can this be done? I read about post and core, but I'm not sure that could be done in my case. I just want to keep the old root after all the nerves have been pulled out (root canal). I hate to go through implant and bone grafting, and because the bridging procedure will be less complicated I can get it done in my country for less than a quarter of the price, and can be done within a short amount of time. By the way, my other upper front tooth is also thin, so I would not feel so bad putting a crown on it. Any advice please. Thanks so much!
If the tooth is cracked to the gumline, then you're going to lose the tooth. You can't save a root, if you have no tooth to attach it to. Either it had a root canal or it didn't..and if it did, there's no root left anyway. If it didn't, then it'll die now that the tooth is cracked to the gumline. Roots and teeth go together. Teeth can be saved with a root canal, but roots can't be saved without teeth.
As for the implant, $5000 is WAY up there on the price scale. I'd check around for a more competitive price; you should be able to get it for between $1800 and $3000 from start to finish. You could get a bridge instead, but it'll still cost upward to around $2000 from start to finish, because they'll have to grind down the two surrounding teeth, which will serve as anchors for the replaced tooth.
The upside of a bridge is that it takes less time than an implant. The upside of an implant is that it's longer lasting and much more durable.
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I have a tooth that requires extraction.
Implant or bridge over post and core?
