When it comes to replacing missing teeth, you have three significant alternatives: dental implants, dentures, and bridges. Implants are artificial teeth roots made from titanium that are embedded directly and permanently into your jawbone. Traditional dentures are designed to fit onto your gums, but to be removed at night. Bridges are neither directly embedded into your jawbone nor designed to be removable, but are cemented onto teeth on one or both sides of the gap in your teeth.
Today, the American Academy of Implant Dentistry describes dental implants as the “preferred method for treating tooth loss.” Why? Because modern dental implants perform just like natural teeth and preserve — and even promote — the health of your jaw structure by preventing bone loss and atrophy. While bridges and dentures restore at least some dental function and fill the gaps in your smile, they do not address the jaw-related consequences of tooth loss.
Why do so many people prefer implants over other options?
Because they’re planted securely into your jaw, implants are inherently more stable than removable dentures that rest on your gums or bridges supported by natural teeth modified to accept them.
Your jawbone accepts the implants’ titanium post as natural tissue. That biocompatibility of the titanium material means that a powerful bond develops between your jaw and the implant through a process called osseointegration. Whereas dentures float on gums and bridges rely on altered teeth, implants fuse directly to the bone in your jaw.
While receiving dental implants in NW Calgary does require surgery to place the implant into your jaw, it does not require any alteration to your neighbouring teeth. Accommodating a bridge, on the other hand, requires the removal of some material from neighbouring teeth.
Implants look and function exactly like normal teeth without any requirement for compromise of diet or lifestyle or any need to change your daily dental hygiene habits.
Is there a downside to receiving dental implants from a dentist in NW Calgary?
Receiving dental implants is more expensive up front than replacing missing teeth with either dentures or bridges. While the up front cost of implants is higher, the long term economic value of implants is significant compared to both those options. With good commitment to dental hygiene, a dental implant can last your lifetime. Dental bridges, on the other hand, need to be replaced every ten years or so. Dentures typically need to be replaced every seven to 10 years, and relined and adjusted more frequently than that. When you take into account the cost of replacing bridges and dentures over the course of your lifetime, the total ongoing cost of dental implants is lower.
In some circumstances, receiving implants from a dentist in NW Calgary can involve more invasive procedures than alternatives. That is because you’ll be required to undergo two procedures separated by several months. The first procedure will be the surgical implantation of the titanium post into your jaw and the connection of an abutment to that post. The second step of receiving dental implants near you will take place three to six months later once you’ve fully recovered from the first procedure. At that second stage, your dentist will prepare and provide a final restoration such as a crown, or implant-supported bridge or implant-supported denture, then connect it to your post via that abutment.
We completely understand that many people can find that series of procedures stressful, but are committed to keeping you as comfortable as possible throughout the entire process. The dental professionals at Royal Vista Dental are trained, experienced, and qualified in providing permanent solutions to tooth loss using dental implants. As you consider your alternatives for replacing lost teeth, contact a dentist near you to ask if implants may be right for you.