A dental bridge can help you replace a single lost tooth, or several consecutive teeth, when you’ve suffered tooth loss that doesn’t require a full or partial denture to resolve. Your dentist can improve the effectiveness of your dental bridge by adding the support of one or more dental implants. Today, we explore the differences between a dental implant bridge and a traditional bridge, including the continuing benefits of replacing lost teeth roots with implants.
How a Traditional Bridge Works
As the name suggests, a dental bridge serves to bridge the gap left by missing teeth. For support, the replacement teeth are bordered by dental crowns on either side, which are attached to the remaining teeth adjacent to the gap, called abutment teeth. While effective, this method often involves reshaping healthy tooth structure to fit the crowns, and does not offer the same stability as your natural tooth’s crown-and-root structure.
Improved Support with Dental Implants
While the concept of custom-designing replacement teeth to fill in your gapped smile remains the same, dental implant bridges offer the addition of one or more dental implants, which are surgically inserted into your jawbone. Through the process of osseointegration, your jawbone fuses to the titanium dental implant in much the same way as it adheres to your natural tooth roots. Once healed, your implants can offer unmatched support for your dental bridge, allowing it to look and function like real teeth without the manipulation of healthy tooth structure.
