If you’ve heard of bridges and implants as potential ways to replace a tooth, you might wonder which one will hold up against daily wear and tear. Here, we’ll look at the differences between bridges and implants and when you should get one over the other.

Dental Bridges

A dental bridge in Grand Junction, CO is a dental appliance that uses your natural teeth to hold an artificial tooth in place. Usually, it’s one artificial tooth placed between two crowns, with the crowns holding the false tooth in place. However, a dental bridge can also be placed on an edge, with only one crown holding it in place.

Dental Implants

A dental implant is a single artificial tooth that’s held in place by a metal post in the jaw bone and then attached with an abutment between the post and the tooth. This procedure can take several months because the dentist in Grand Junction, CO needs to wait for the metal to fuse to the bone before they cement the permanent artificial tooth.

Is a Dental Implant Stronger?

Dental implants are stronger than dental bridges because they work like your natural tooth. Instead of the tooth roots to hold the tooth in place, though, it’s a metal post. A bridge goes above your gumline, which will make it more vulnerable.

Interestingly, though, you’ll get very similar general advice when it comes to how to treat your bridge or implant. For example, the dentist might ask that you limit crunchy foods to help your tooth last longer. That said, both a dental implant and bridge can stand up to plenty of pressure, you just might be able to get away with more if you choose the implant.

While implants are stronger, some people prefer bridges. This may be because they don’t have healthy enough gum tissue or jawbone to withstand the implant procedure or it could be because they want a faster procedure. (Bridges are also typically more affordable than implants.) No matter where you fall on the spectrum, the team at Western Slope Dental Center can help you sort out fact from fiction.