If a person has a missing tooth, there are three options left before him. He can either opt for a conventional bridge, a dental implant or a partial denture. Dental bridges are a bit costlier than the conventional bridge but what needs to be understood is their upfront cost is only more. People are increasingly getting to know of the real benefits of dental implants.

Dr. Sravanthi is a lead dentist in Chennai and she explains why in her opinion dental implants in are better than conventional bridges.

8 Reasons Why Dental implants are better than conventional bridges

1. Dental implants actually preserve the bone and can arrest the bone loss but bridges are unable to preserve the bones. This is because the implants are embedded in the jaw bones and would stop further bone loss. Whereas in a conventional bridge the bridge is held by the two supporting teeth and hence there is no pressure applied to the jaw bone where in the bone loss continues in the missing tooth.
2. A dental implant is made without disturbing the adjacent teeth as they are not touched. Whereas in conventional bridges, the adjacent teeth are worked on to fit the bridges. The adjacent teeth are reduced and worked so that the bridge can be fitted on top of them.
3. A dental implant applies the same natural pressure as an adjacent natural tooth would whereas the conventional bridge is a burden or an additional weight that the two adjacent teeth would carry.
4. Chewing is better or near natural in dental implant whereas it is not that effective with a conventional bridge.
5. A very successful dental implant can last more than 20 years too whereas the best of conventional bridges can last a mere 10 years.
6. When a conventional bridge finishes its life span and need to be replaced, the adjacent teeth are once again worked upon. This causes more damage to the adjacent teeth. Whereas the dental implants hardly fail and even in the event of failure or replacement after its life span, they do not affect the adjacent teeth’s health.
7. A conventional bridge has to be maintained well as they are susceptible to decay and gum problems. Whereas the dental implants are not susceptible to decay which is a huge advantage. (That does not mean that people with dental implant can forget oral hygiene as it must be remembered that gum problems can still occur for anyone and hence a proper oral hygiene is a must).
8. In terms of aesthetics, dental implants provide better aesthetics because they resemble a natural tooth. Whereas in a bridge, a subtle connection can be seen to the adjacent teeth.

Conclusion – Though dental implants in Chennai or in any cities are costlier upfront than the conventional bridges, the life of dental implants would easily offset the cost factor and hence without an iota of doubt, dental implants are a better option than the conventional bridges.