There are many reasons why people lose one or more teeth, whether it it illness or accident, this loss can have a serious impact on quality of life. It also determines how one approaches continued dental health in the future.
Crowns and bridges have been the standard method of replacement of these teeth for >100 years. It works, but has a down side. Healthy tooth structure is removed on one or more teeth in order to have adequate coverage by the crown or bridge. The resultant structure may be sensitive in the future, it may lead to leakage and decay at the margin of the crown(s). If a root canal had been done prior to crown placement, decay may go undetected do to lack of pain. This may progress until fracture of the tooth and crown, which will lead to extraction and a larger/longer bridge.
The consevative alternative to this is to place one or more implants initially. With > 40 years of clinical research and use, dental implants are succesfull. They act and feel like natural teeth. They are constructed from bio-compatable materials. Placement is minimally invasive, while helping to maintain natural bone height through constant stimulation. They are stable and need no adjustment after placement.
Implants can be used as an alternative to a long bridge. A 3 tooth implant supported bridge is definitely more conservative than a 5+ unit bridge. It will probably cost less also. Insurance companies are constantly increasing coverage of implants and their crowns.
As the populaity of implants is on the rise, there is a healthy competition among companies who produce/market
implants to lower costs to the surgeon, and hopefully to the patient!
Dentists should consider implant restorations as a progressive alternative in their restorative armamentarium!
