Each and every dental treatment is made for two main reasons: health and aesthetics.

Both reasons make people feel more confident in their different activities: when eating, smiling, and talking; therefore, they feel better with themselves.

Based on a simple comparison, we can ensure that dental implants are more alike to natural teeth, since they meet the function from the root of the tooth or back tooth and have an aesthetic look just as natural teeth do.

A dental implant supports a dental piece by itself, whereas a dental bridge implies carving out anterior and posterior teeth for supporting the prosthesis of a dental bridge.

Image 1 clearly shows the difference between a dental implant and a bridge. On the right side of the scale model there is a dental implant replacing a back tooth. Anterior and posterior teeth are intact. On the left side of the scale model the same back tooth is missing but instead of a dental implant, a bridge was placed. This is why the dentist had to wear out the anterior and posterior back tooth in order to support the dental bridge.

Image 2 shows the same scale model photographed from the left side. In the foreground, the worn out back teeth supporting the bridge are showed (which is next to the scale model). In the background on the right side of the scale model, the placed dental implant is showed.

Another element to take into account is the fact that when a tooth or back tooth is missing, even if it has been replaced by a dental bridge or not, bone loss takes place (the bone is reabsorbed due to the lack of use). This bone loss provokes a reduction in the jaw, which also provokes a collapse on the face profile with wrinkles around the mouth, sunken lips, and the nose being closer to the chin. This is the accurate description of an aging-looking person, with respect to himself/herself if he/she would support the bone levels in the mouth by using a dental implant.

The dental implant technique protects bones from being reabsorbed since the dental implant is equal to the dental root, thus avoiding discomfort provoked by the bone loss due to such reabsorption.

Another benefit in favor of dental implants is that by maintaining the full denture from the root, small pieces of food do not remain under the prosthesis covering the gum where the tooth is missing, opposite to what happens with bridges in the middle term. It provokes infections under the bridge and on the anterior and posterior teeth that were carved out, because the daily cleaning does not reaches these places. Normally, bridges would be removed in order to heal the roots when possible, as well as to directly remove such root since it is useless. As a consequence and as time passes by, more teeth will become useless.

Likewise, we conclude that dental implants are from any point of view the best solution to replace missing teeth, and they also have more advantages in each and every aspect compared to traditional bridges. Nowadays, placing dental implants is a routine, very simple, and complication-free process if carried out by a proper professional.

Also, thanks to the affordable costs of dental implants at our clinic, they are inexpensive monetarily speaking. Finally, in the long term, dental implants represent the best choice for the patient’s health and economy.