What’s the Difference Between a Dental Implant and a Dental Bridge?

It can be embarrassing to lose your tooth as an adult. Fortunately, it is not necessary to leave a vacant space in your mouth indefinitely. Modern dentistry offers multiple options for completing your smile with a prosthetic tooth. The two most frequently used options are dental implants and dental implants. In this blog, the expert team of dentists explain the main differences between these procedures, as well as the pros and cons of each procedure.

Dental Implant

A dental implant is an artificial tooth that is surgically attached to your mouth. Your dentist attaches a titanium post to the jawbone and screws the realistic-looking tooth to this post. Implants are chosen so that they match the precise size, shape and shade of your natural teeth to achieve a seamless smile. Because it is securely attached to the jaw, this new tooth functions like any normal tooth would.

Dental Bridge

A dental bridge fills in or “bridges” a gap that exists between teeth. With a traditional bridge, your dentist attaches a crown to each of the two natural teeth on either side of the gap to hold the bridge in place. The bridge has an artificial tooth (or multiple artificial teeth if there is more than one tooth missing in a row) at the center to complete your smile. Northfield’s dentist may also recommend a certain type of bridge (traditional, cantilever or resin-bonded) to best address the specific dental problem at hand.

Which Is the Right Approach?

For many patients, the decision between dental implants and dental bridges comes down to a matter of preference. Bridges are less expensive and more likely to be covered by an insurance plan. Furthermore, the process for adding a bridge is non-surgical and can be completed in a shorter timeframe than an implant.

On the other hand, an implant stays in the mouth for longer than the average dental bridge and does not require altering the adjacent teeth in any way. Although both procedures look like natural teeth in your mouth, implants are usually more difficult to identify as artificial teeth.

Make an Appointment

With multiple options for replacing a tooth, the dentists at Northfield Dental Group can find a solution that makes the most sense for your mouth as well as your budget. To schedule an appointment with one of our esteemed experts — Dr. Ivan Stein, Dr. Derek Widmayer, Dr. Jeffrey Shapiro, Dr. Jonathan Mendia or Dr. Allan Stein — please call (973) 736-0111.