Single Tooth Dental Implants

If you are missing a single tooth, one implant and a crown can replace it. A dental implant replaces both the lost natural tooth and its root.

Advantages of a single-tooth implant over a bridge

Compared to other tooth replacement options, a dental implant has many benefits. A dental implant not only looks and functions like a natural tooth, but it also removes a single tooth without jeopardizing the health of nearby teeth. The other popular treatment for a single tooth loss is a tooth-supported fixed bridge, which necessitates the grinding down of adjacent teeth to reinforce the cemented bridge. Because a dental implant will replace your tooth root, the bone is better preserved. With a bridge, some of the bone that previously surrounded the tooth begins to resorb (deteriorate). Dental implants integrate with your jawbone, helping to keep the bone healthy and intact.
In the long term, a single implant can be more esthetic and easier to keep clean than a bridge. Gums can recede around a bridge, leaving a visible defect when the metal base or collar of the bridge becomes exposed. Resorbed bone beneath the bridge can lead to an unattractive smile. And, the cement holding the bridge in place can wash out, allowing bacteria to decay the teeth that anchor the bridge.