Dental Implants vs. Bridges: Making the Right Choice

When it comes to replacing missing teeth, patients often face a choice between dental implants and bridges. Both are excellent solutions, but they differ in important ways that can affect your long-term oral health and satisfaction.

Dental Implants: The Gold Standard

Dental implants replace the entire tooth — root and crown. A titanium post is surgically placed in the jawbone, where it fuses with the bone over several months. Once integrated, a custom porcelain crown is attached, creating a restoration that looks, feels, and functions exactly like a natural tooth.

Dental Bridges: A Time-Tested Solution

A dental bridge uses adjacent teeth as anchors to support a prosthetic tooth. While this approach has been used successfully for decades, it does require altering healthy neighboring teeth to serve as supports.

Key Differences

The primary advantage of implants is preservation — they preserve bone density, prevent shifting of adjacent teeth, and don't require modification of healthy teeth. Bridges, however, can be completed more quickly and may be preferred in certain clinical situations.

Our Recommendation

At Sharp Dentistry, we evaluate each patient individually. Factors including bone density, overall health, location of the missing tooth, and personal preferences all play a role in determining the optimal solution.