Prosthetic Options for Treating Tooth Loss: Part Two

For patients who have grown unhappy with their current prosthetic, such as unsupported dentures, or those that have an extraction scheduled, it can be incredibly comforting knowing that there are more stable and comfortable options available for coping with tooth loss. Dental bridges and dental implants are two popular forms of prosthetic, both of which offer added stability and comfort when compared to unsupported dentures. So, if you are tired of making do with a smile that doesn’t function or look the way you wish it would or the way it did prior to your tooth loss, talk to your dentist about how a dental prostheses like a dental bridge or a dental implant could help!

Dental Bridges – Dental bridges are a popular alternative to unsupported dentures, because they can still be completed quickly, but they provide more stability. That is because a bridge holds a replacement tooth in place through the use of dental crowns, which are affixed to remaining teeth, adjacent to the gap. A dental bridge can actually be used with a complete porcelain crown, as the replacement tooth, or with partial dentures to help replace several missing teeth.

Dental Implants – For patients looking for even more stability, dental implants are considered the most stable and permanent prosthetic option. Dental implants consist of three parts, the replacement tooth, the titanium post that anchors, and an abutment, which helps to connect the two. It is the post, however, that truly sets implants apart.

That is because only the implant helps to replace both a missing tooth and its root, with the post serving the same function of the tooth root. That is, the post helps supply ongoing nutrients to the jaw, while also holding the replacement tooth or teeth securely in place.