While dental bridges have restored smiles for thousands of Anchorage dental patients, they are not problem free. Many Anchorage people with dental bridges find it impossible to keep the small areas around the bridge clean. This is not surprising because it is hard to get toothbrush bristles or dental floss under the bridge.

Of course bacteria has no trouble moving in and taking over without the Anchorage dental patient even knowing it. When the decay reaches the roots of the surrounding teeth, it is not only painful, the person is at risk of losing those teeth also.

Dental Implant Superior To A Dental Bridge

Most Anchorage people with missing teeth are great candidates for dental implants. A dental implant looks just like the beautiful tooth restoration on a high-quality dental bridge, but the important part is what you don’t see.

A dental implant is screwed directly into the jaw bone. It is not attached to teeth like the dental bridges traditionally used in Anchorage. In a way, a dental implant is a more conservative tooth replacement because it leaves the adjacent teeth intact. The bone and gum tissue mesh permanently with the titanium post that serves as the replacement tooth root.

Dental implants do not have the same decay risk as the teeth that anchor dental bridges. Of course patients with dental implants need to brush and floss, but cleaning a dental implant is usually no more difficult than cleaning a normal tooth.

Dental implants have a far better track record in Anchorage than dental bridges. With proper care, a dental implant can last a lifetime for smile-smart Anchorage folks.

If you currently have a dental bridge, you might consider permanently replacing it with a dental implant before the adjacent teeth are threatened with decay or gum disease.

If you are interested in learning more about dental implants, we invite you to call Excellence In Dentistry at (907) 349-0022.