There’s simply no need these days to live with a gap in your smile. It certainly doesn’t look good and can make you look older. But there are other dental health problems that can pop up. Your teeth can start to get crooked, and your self-esteem can be lower.
That’s why you need to call us today at our Bridgeport/Trumbull dental office (203-372-1220) or our Shelton dental office (203-378-9737) and schedule an appointment for restorative dentistry. Our highly skilled dentists can replace that lost tooth so your smile is healthy and attractive one more.
Yes, You Really Need To Replace That Tooth
Rarely do problems get better when you try and ignore them. Sure, a cold will eventually go away, but a cavity just gets bigger. The same is true for a lost tooth. Ignoring that empty spot in your smile is not a great idea because missing teeth can give you several problems:
- You can hurt your gums in that spot if you chew something hard.
- Some words can be difficult to pronounce clearly.
- You’ll have a harder time eating tough or chewy foods.
- Your other teeth will get crooked without the missing tooth’s support.
- It’s harder to feel confident speaking to people, especially those you’re just meeting.
That’s why it’s important to call DeJesus Dental Group as soon as you can when you have a lost tooth. You really need a replacement tooth so you can avoid these problems.
Restorative Dentistry For Lost Teeth
But what kind of replacement tooth? While dentures are great for replacing a full arch of teeth, there are generally two dental restorations for a single lost tooth.
Dental implants: These feature an artificial root mimicking the ones with your real teeth. A durable but life-like replacement tooth (actually a dental crown) is attached to the root once it has been surgically placed in your jawbone.
Dental bridges: These do not require oral surgery. Instead, two dental crowns are put atop the teeth on either side of the gap. Then the same replacement tooth used in dental implants is bonded firmly in place.
Dental Implant Or Dental Bridge?
If you have these two to choose from, which one should you get? That can depend on several factors, such as the health of your jawbone. That said, here’s how these two dental restorations compare so you can help make that decision.
HEALTH: DENTAL IMPLANTS
The roots of your teeth go into your jawbone. This is what gives your teeth such strength, but it also helps keep your jawbone healthy. That’s because whenever you chew, pressure travels through the roots and stimulates the bone tissue in the jaw. Dental bridges replace the tooth, but they do nothing for this problem.
That’s why dental implants have the edge here. They come with an artificial tooth root. When you chew with your dental implant, your jawbone is getting the stimulation it needs to stay healthy and strong.
DURABILITY: DENTAL IMPLANTS
No one wants to get a dental restoration done a second time. However, that happens. Nothing lasts forever, and depending on how you treat your teeth, you will likely have to get an old restoration re-done. When it comes to dental bridges, yours will probably last about 10 years, maybe less.
Because dental implants are so close to real teeth, they last a lot longer. Your dental implant will typically last 20 years or longer. For some people, their dental implant is the only dental restoration they need.
COST: DENTAL BRIDGES
If you’re mostly concerned about which dental restoration will end up costing you more, then you’re probably going to want a dental bridge. Dental implants last longer, but that’s because they use oral surgery to place the root in your jawbone. Any treatment that includes surgery will be more expensive.
But dental bridges are a nonsurgical treatment for a lost teeth. By bonding the replacement tooth to dental crowns, you keep a replacement in that gap without surgery. That tends to make dental bridges more affordable.
Call us today at our Bridgeport/Trumbull dental office (203-372-1220) or our Shelton dental office (203-378-9737) or use our online tool to schedule your next appointment for restorative dentistry. Our dentists have been using dental bridges and dental implants for many years. No matter which you eventually go with, you are sure to get a durable, beautiful replacement tooth.