According to the National Library of Medicine, around 69% of adults aged 35 to 44 in the United States have lost at least 1 tooth. When left unattended, these gaps left by missing teeth can begin to affect adjacent teeth. When these adjacent teeth are affected, those adjacent to them are put at risk. For this reason, it’s important to find a solution to replace missing teeth when they’re extracted or lost for any reason.
When it comes to replacing missing teeth, the two most common solutions are dental bridges or dental implants. These are two very different procedures, two very different solutions, and they cater to different needs.
A dental bridge may be used to cover one or several missing teeth at once. They work by using false teeth held in place by the teeth surrounding the gap, and they are typically made using porcelain, resin, or ceramic. There are 4 key different types of dental bridges, each with slight differences to cater to different needs. A traditional dental bridge consists of false teeth held in place by dental crowns placed on abutment teeth. A cantilever dental bridge holds the false teeth in place using only one crown on one abutment tooth. A Maryland dental bridge is similar to a traditional in that it uses two abutment teeth to hold the false teeth in place, but rather than being held by crowns these bridges use a simple metal framework bonded to the backs of natural teeth. Lastly, an implant supported dental bridge uses two dental implants to hold the false tooth bridge into position.
A dental implant differs from a dental bridge in a few ways. While a dental bridge can be used to replace a single missing tooth, they’re more commonly used to replace several at once. A dental implant is designed to replace one missing tooth at a time, and they’re far more similar to your natural teeth.
The implant is an artificial tooth root made from titanium, which is then placed into the socket left behind by the missing tooth. This titanium root fuses to the jawbone, creating what is effectively an artificial tooth structure. A crown is placed onto the titanium root to provide a tooth surface, and the complete implant is treated just as you’d treat your natural teeth.
