Alternatives to Dental Bridges

It's your first visit to your new dentist and as you fill out the endless paperwork, you come across the infamous dental question: "What would you change about your smile?" If you are missing any teeth, your answer is almost certainly going to be, "Everything."

While one of the most popular treatments for tooth loss is a dental bridge, alternative treatments exist that are not only less expensive but more convenient. The choice you make regarding your smile is all yours, you simply need to decide what the best choice is for you.

Space Maintainers

• Maintainers are generally an alternative for a child before his permanent tooth is ready to come in or who has lost a permanent tooth due to a fall or accident. The maintainer ensures his remaining teeth will not shift, resulting in further dental problems.

  The most common type of space maintainer used is removable, made of stainless steel or plastic, and resembles a retainer. Impressions are made of the child's mouth before the maintainer is custom made by his dentist or orthodontist.

  If the maintainer is required due to premature loss of a baby tooth, his dentist will take x-rays periodically to track the progress of his permanent tooth. Just before it comes through, use of the maintainer is discontinued. However, if your child needs the maintainer due to the loss of a permanent tooth, he may need to continue wearing it until his growth process is complete, typically between the ages of 16 and 18. At this time he will be given another option such as implants, partial dentures or dental bridges.

Cast Framework Partial Dentures

• Of all the alternatives to dental bridges, partial dentures are the least expensive. They not only fill in the gap between one or more teeth, they also act as a spacer, preventing the rest of your permanent teeth from shifting.

  Cast framework partials are much less noticeable than partials which are made from acrylic, and the framework is strong. In addition, the metal rests on your teeth rather than your tissue, reducing sore spots which are a common problem with partial dentures.

  When you first receive your partials, you may feel awkward and find it difficult to speak or eat. Learning to insert and remove them may take some time as well. However, after a few weeks, you will begin adjusting to them. You may also need to wear them continuously in the beginning; this will help your dentist determine if they need to be adjusted to fit your mouth more comfortably. Once all the adjustments are made, you should be able to remove them at night and replace them in the morning.

Implants

• Implants may be more durable than bridges, and offer a permanent solution to tooth loss. They have a 90 percent success rate when used as a replacement for the bottom teeth, and a 95 percent success rate when used as a replacement for the upper.

  Made of titanium material and screws, your dentist begins by drilling a hole in the space where the implant is needed. This space is then slowly widened which allows for the placement of the implant screw. Once the implant screw is placed in its designated area, your dentist will place a protective cover over it while it heals; this takes between three and six months.

  The process is complete once the protective cover is removed and a crown takes its place. Though a lengthy procedure, it is one of the most successful procedures in dentistry.