Your dentist has probably given you two competing options on how to deal with that gap in your mouth: dental implants versus bridges.
Now you are left to wonder which one is better.
Having your original tooth back would be the best, but that's not an option.
Since you will have to choose between the two, let's try to figure out which one is better.
Instead of just giving you a bunch of information and letting you decide, I am going to write this article in favor of the choice I prefer.
When it comes to dental implants versus bridges, I will pick implants every time.
Let's talk about what's good about bridges before I start trashing on them.
First, they are far less expensive than implants.
Usually, dental bridges will cost you half as much as implants.
This doesn't mean they are cheap.
They are still going to cost you around a thousand dollars.
Another good thing about dental bridges is that the recovery time is short.
You'll be back to your normal chewing before you know it.
Both of these pros make dental bridges a viable option for many people.
Still, in the matchup of dental implants versus bridges, I say implants win every time.
Now let's talk about the positives of dental implants.
Implants have longevity on their side.
Some people get an implant and it lasts them the rest of their lives.
Now, there are exceptions to the rule.
Some implants do go bad.
Still, for the most part, an implant will outlast a bridge by quite a bit.
Some people like the look of an implant better.
I am one of those people.
An implant looks like a regular tooth.
A bridge works more by illusion.
Okay, now let's talk about the negatives of the bridge.
This is where the battle of implants versus bridges takes a huge turn toward favoring implants.
You see, bridges have a lot of negatives against them.
First, they ruin the teeth surrounding them.
You actually have to shave down the surrounding teeth to put in a bridge.
This will lead to those teeth going bad and having to be removed.
Also, dental bridges are not a permanent fix.
They can break within a few years after getting them.
Clearly, in the battle of dental implants versus bridges, bridges have a lot of weaknesses.
There are some negatives with implants in the battle of dental implants versus bridges.
Implants cost a lot more, and the recovery time is longer.
I think that they make up for this with their positives.
Also, these negatives are not nearly as bad as with bridges.
Sadly, I think the only reason that dentists push bridges is so that they will be able to get more money out of their patients when the bridges break.
So, this has been the battle of dental implants versus bridges.
For me, implants won the match.
You might feel differently.
In either case, I hope that this has provided you with enough information to make a good choice about which one to get.