If you are a candidate, dental implants are the most natural way to replace a missing tooth. Before dental implants became the “standard of care”, it was more common to place a bridge where the healthy teeth on either side of the missing one would have to be ground down to little pegs to fit the crown. Because the healthy teeth were in essence destroyed to replace the bad one, the risk of developing cavities or “root canal” type problems increased. It is also common to have the bone and gum shrink under the area where the tooth was replaced causing health as well as cosmetic concerns. Eventually the need to replace the bridge and maybe grind down even more healthy teeth to hold a new bridge became inescapable.
Dental implants are different! They can last a lifetime. There is forty years of proven research. We know now that dental implants preserve bone and prevent “facial collapse”. The bone around implants actually gets stronger over time so avoiding future bridge replacements will actually save you time and money.
Hope this helps!
Dr. G
