When our patients are faced with the need to replace a missing tooth, many of them wonder which is the most appropriate treatment to do so.
Which is better: implant or bridge? This is a very frequent doubt, the result of the normal lack of knowledge about the two options.
Although in appearance both the dental implant and the dental bridge cover the same need, which is none other than to replace the missing dental piece.
In this way, the person will be able to recover the full functionality and esthetics of his or her mouth.
However, if analyzed in depth, it is no less true that both implants and bridges have a series of advantages and disadvantages.
But first, let us define what an implant is and what a dental bridge is.
What are dental bridges?
A dental bridge is a structure composed of a set of crowns that serves to simulate the shape of several teeth.
This bridge is fixed by means of a dental cement on the natural teeth of the person who wears it.
However, in order to perform this procedure and fix the bridge it is essential to grind the adjacent teeth, since the crown is placed on top of them.
Therefore, in order to make it possible to superimpose it, it is necessary to substantially reduce the size of these teeth, called abutments.
Since the structure is cemented, it is permanently attached to the patient’s mouth, which is why it is often referred to as a fixed dental bridge.
This means that the bridge can only be removed by a dentist.
Depending on the needs of the individual patient, it is possible to choose between different types of dental bridges.
To place a tooth without an implant
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DENTAL BRIDGE
What are dental implants?
A dental implant is a small titanium screw that is inserted into the patient’s jawbone.
The main difference with respect to the bridge over teeth is that this second option also replaces the root of the tooth.
This prevents the loss of the tooth from affecting the bone.
Again, a dental crown -which can be made of zirconium or porcelain metal- is placed to give the implant full functionality and esthetics.
Contrary to what happens with bridges, when we place an implant we do not have to grind the neighboring teeth.
This is because the implant is inserted in the empty hole, it does not need to be supported by the rest of the teeth and works independently of them.
One of the disadvantages of bridges as opposed to implants is that the former require the grinding of healthy adjacent teeth.
Which is better: an implant or a bridge?
If we had to generalize, we would say that implants are always a better option than bridges.
However, when it comes to health, it is not convenient to generalize.
There are people who decide to have a dental bridge because they are a good alternative to implants.
Therefore, we will say that the choice will depend on the case of each patient, his or her needs and the aspects to which he or she attaches importance.
To begin to clarify this, in the following section we will compare the two methods for replacing a missing tooth: the implant and the bridge.
Advantages and disadvantages of implants and bridges
In order to know with certainty which treatment is more convenient for each person, dentists specialized in implantology evaluate four fundamental aspects:
Duration and resistance.
A factor that can have a great weight in the patient’s decision is to know which method is the most durable for replacing a tooth.
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How long does a dental implant last?
According to a report published by the Spanish Association of Periodontology and Osseointegration (SEPA), 98% of implants successfully integrate into the bone after placement.
After 15 years, 90% of those placed in the maxilla and mandible continue to function properly.
These statistics place dental implants among the most reliable of all human surgical techniques.
If an implant fails, it will show signs in the early stages, prior to osseointegration.
These failures result in:
Infection
Rejection of the implant due to incorrect osseointegration.
Peri-implantitis
According to the same report, it is in later stages, once osseointegration has already taken place, when various alterations can occur due to crown fracture, infections or misalignments in the structure (mechanical complications).
If these problems are detected in time, the patient’s oral health and the condition of the implant should not be compromised.
A second analysis published in the Revista Española Odontoestomatológica de Implantes, carried out a clinical study in which 200 implants were placed in 58 patients.
The results showed an implant survival and success rate of 98%.
After an average functional loading period of 7 months, there were no late complications.
Dental implants have a success rate of almost 98%, which places them among the most reliable surgical techniques.
How long do dental bridges last?
A study conducted by researchers at the School of Dental Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland, evaluated and compared the 5- and 10-year survival of dental bridges on teeth.
Patients who underwent the study were examined and had a follow-up of their case.
Through a meta-analysis of various publications, it was concluded that the survival of traditional tooth-supported bridges was 93.8%.
Keep your mouth in good care
Dental prophylaxis is essential to ensure the survival of any type of implant or bridge. Visit your dentist regularly to detect any pathology in time.
The study concludes by stating that, after a decade of operation, the estimated survival decreased to 89.2%.
Despite the high survival rates, some patients experienced complications during the study.
Specifically, 15.7% had problems.
As for the type of incidences presented by the patients, they were related to biological factors, such as caries.
On the other hand, the technical complications were: fracture of the prosthesis, chipping, loosening of screws and loss of retention.
After analyzing the different studies, we can say that both bridges and implants have a survival rate of about 90% of cases.
Dental implants, however, provide more reliable results, since the prosthesis replaces the root of the tooth and ensures a survival of more than 30 years.
If properly cared for, the implant can last a lifetime.
Bridges, however, force the patient to give up the volume of the adjacent teeth, so he or she must always wear artificial crowns.
Recovering a tooth
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DENTAL IMPLANT
Aesthetics
Both the dental implant and the dental bridge have an esthetic functionality and respond very well to the patient’s needs.
However, it is true that the implant provides a much more natural appearance to the smile.
This is due to the advances that have been made in recent years in both techniques and materials in the specialty of implant dentistry.
In addition, many patients choose to have a zirconium crown because of its natural appearance and strength.
Dental milling
As we have explained previously, in order to place a dental bridge it is necessary to grind the adjacent healthy teeth, with the disadvantages that this entails:
There is a risk of damaging them, so it is advisable to perform an endodontic or root canal treatment in case their volume is greatly reduced.
The teeth that serve as abutments for the bridge are carved for life, so they will always need to be covered by a crown.
On the other hand, when an implant is placed, the rest of the teeth are not affected and do not need to be supported.
That is why an implant is a more conservative treatment than a fixed dental bridge.
Don’t just look at the price
Although a bridge is much cheaper than an implant, we recommend that you also compare the duration and esthetics offered by both treatments.
Price
If in the three previous elements (duration, esthetics and milling) it was the implant that clearly offered more advantages, in the economic aspect we cannot say the same.
The dental bridge is much cheaper than an implant.
As it could not be otherwise, the price of the bridge is conditioned by the disadvantages it offers compared to the dental implant.
Having said all this, it is always best to go to a dentist who specializes in implantology.
In this way, he or she will be able to examine you, analyze your case and propose the option that best suits your requirements and needs.
If you would like to come to our dental clinic, our team of implantologists will be delighted to welcome you for a free initial consultation.
