Bridges can be prepped, placed, and completed in just two visits over the span of about two weeks. Once they’re set, that’s it. With regular care and maintenance, a quality dental bridge can last several years.

A bridge needs healthy teeth to support it. Before it can be installed, the abutment teeth have to be reshaped so that the bridge slips over, like a crown. If teeth are healthy, this permanently and unnecessarily alters their structure. Additionally, bridges may not last for more than a decade or so. They will ultimately need to be replaced with a new one. At a certain point, the supporting teeth may be too weak to hold a new bridge, due to lack of stability.

Choosing to invest in dental implants over more conventional types of treatment offers many advantages to your overall oral health. Rather than altering adjacent teeth to support a fixed prosthesis, implants stand independently and function as if they were natural teeth. A number of benefits, include:

• Preservation of natural biting patterns and tooth alignment
• Non-invasive to adjacent teeth (no reshaping or structure removal)
• Enhanced bone support of the jaw and face
• Permanent (non-removable) restorative designs
• Options for dental implant stabilization
• Better return on investment than conventional treatments

Today's implants are the most lifelike tooth replacements available. Not only that, but their extremely high success rate means nearly 98% of dental implants last for the life of patients. They offer the longest return on investment of any modern-day dental restoration.

Implants require healthy bone to support them. If you lack bone depth, a graft may be needed. Although some people see the slightly higher cost of implants as a possible disadvantage, they’re actually more affordable in the long run. That’s because implants do not typically need to be replaced.

A common perception of having dental implants placed is that the process will be an uncomfortable one. Not so! Because bone structure does not contain pain receptors, we’re able to efficiently place implants in a straightforward and comfortable manner. If you’ve ever had a tooth removed, getting an implant is usually much more comfortable. After the placement of the artificial roots, patients wear a temporary restoration as the bone and gum tissue heals around your new implant. Within a few months, a permanent crown, bridge, or denture is fixed into place.

An immediate load implant is one that’s placed and restored in one appointment. Traditional implants are usually placed, covered to allow the area to heal, and then restored with a fixed restoration several months later. In contrast, same day implants are installed and then have a fixed restoration placed at the same appointment, while bone integrates with the biocompatible, artificial tooth root.

Most immediate load dental implants are placed in the “aesthetic zone” of a person’s smile, that is, toward the front of their mouth. Such areas typically don’t have to bear as much weigh as back molars would for grinding and chewing. As such, they are at less of a risk for any complications when pressure is applied to them. Having a missing front tooth can be tremendously embarrassing. But with an immediate load implant you’re able to enjoy a new “tooth” in just one trip to the dentist’s office.

Depending on which tooth you’re replacing, your immediate load dental implant may have what we consider a “provisional” restoration placed on the date of surgery, then a more permanent restoration a few months later. Provisional crowns or bridges are made to eliminate aesthetic concerns but aren’t such that they’re kept in the mouth on a permanent, long-term basis. Why? Because your oral anatomy and gum tissues will slightly change after an implant is placed. After everything has integrated properly, those minor changes may cause the provisional crown to start to stand out. It’s at that point where a more permanent porcelain design would be recommended.

Many same day implant providers utilize CT/conebeam scanning to digitally map out the placement of the implant in advance of the surgery. This digital imaging allows for the opportunity to create a surgical guide for minimally-invasive and efficient placement of the implant(s). Most patients experience less discomfort and faster healing, while minimizing the need for additional bone grafts