Houston Dental Implants or Dental Bridges?

"This article explores the key differences between dental implants and bridges as a replacement technology for single missing teeth."

The natural development of medical technology over the decades has resulted in there being a number of dental solutions available for patients that are missing one or more of their original adult teeth. The solution most highly recommended by dentists is the Houston dental implant, which offers a fixed, non-removable and long term replacement for missing teeth… but what about dental bridges? Most patients opt for inferior dental technologies because they are seduced by the lower initial costs. In the long term, however, the more sophisticated technologies like Houston dental implants work out to be far more beneficial; not only from a financial point of view, but also in terms of the higher quality of life and comfort they promote.

Comparing Houston Dental Implants and Dental Bridges: Defining the Technology

In order to better understand the differences between Houston dental implants and dental bridges, let’s take a look at what these two tooth replacement technologies are and how they work:

Dental bridges consist of a row of three porcelain caps or crowns that are designed to sit over the gap left by a missing tooth (see image below.) The two healthy teeth on either side of the gap are filed down by the dentist and are subsequently used to support the two outlying porcelain crowns on the bridge. The middle crown then fills the visible gap.

Houston dental implants, on the other hand, are designed to replace an entire missing tooth, from the root to the crown (see image below.) They reap all the support they need in order to remain free-standing from the underlying jaw bone. As such, they function just like natural teeth and are expertly fabricated to resemble them too, in both function and aesthetics.

Houston Dental Implants and Dental Bridges: Key Differences

There are a number of key differences between Houston dental implants and dental bridges and patients should understand what these are before they opt for a tooth replacement technology based upon cost alone.

• First of all, Houston dental implants are free-standing and do not require the two healthy teeth on either side of the missing tooth to be sacrificed in order to support them.

• Secondly, because Houston dental implants are rooted in the jaw just like natural teeth, they feel natural and comfortable. This is one of the biggest complaints patients have about dental bridges; that they don’t feel like a natural tooth and subsequently, patients struggle with a greater degree of self-conscious and oral discomfort.

• Thirdly, Houston dental implants have an incredible lifespan of 20, 30 years and even longer if cared for properly. Dental bridges frequently require restoration or replacement after 12 years, if not sooner. So while they may seem to be the cheaper option in the short term, Houston dental implants constitute a smarter long-term investment.

• Last, but certainly not least, Houston dental implants replace the missing tooth root, which effectively prevents atrophy of the underlying jaw bone tissue. Dental bridges only replace the visible tooth crown and while this may offer patients a high quality aesthetic solution, it neglects jaw bone health. The subsequent resorption of this hard tissue greatly affects the stability and health of the neighboring teeth.

A Final Note on Houston Dental Implants

The loss of a tooth to accidental trauma, a failed root canal or decay can be quite a traumatic experience for a patient. Make sure that if this ever happens to you, you make a smart investment in the future of your oral health, bite functionality and smile aesthetics. Make sure you choose Houston dental implants.

How All on Four Implants Can Save You Tens of Thousands of Dollars on Oral Rehabilitation!

This article discusses the many different ways patients can save by opting for the “All on Four” instead of traditional dental implant protocol.

The idea that a more comprehensive and sophisticated solution to rampant tooth loss and edentulism (not having a single original adult tooth left) is less expensive than traditional implant protocols may seem counter-intuitive, but this is the reality afforded by All on Four implants! The design of this surgical placement protocol enables qualified and experienced implant dentists to achieve the unprecedented in oral rehabilitation. And because of these benefits and advantages, patients are literally able to save tens of thousands of dollars on having a brand new set of fixed and non-removable teeth placed. In this article on All on Four implants, we shall explore how this revolutionary tooth replacement technology makes such savings possible.

How All on Four Implants Can Save Your Money

1. All on Four Implants and the Number of Dental Implants Required for Oral Rehabilitation
   
   The first expense to consider when having a new set of permanent teeth placed is how many implants are required. Traditional implant protocols could require as many as six, eight or even ten implants per jaw in order to give patients a complete set of teeth. This equates to as many as 20 implants for rehabilitation of both the upper and lower dental arch. Now, when you consider that each implant costs approximately $3,500 to $4,000, it’s not hard to understand why many patients consider the technology to be prohibitively expensive!
   
   The surgical protocol behind the placement of All on Four implants involves the affixing of a fully customized prosthetic dental bridge to the abutments of, as the name suggests, four dental implants per jaw. So, even patients that require rehabilitation of both jaws are only looking at needing eight implants to be placed in total. This brings us to the next important saving patients make with All on Four implants… the number of surgeries required.
   
   
2. All on Four Implants and the Number of Surgeries Required for Oral Rehabilitation
   
   With traditional surgical protocols requiring such a large number of implants to be placed, oral rehabilitation was approached as a process that took place over the course of a year to a year-and-a-half. Because there was no way that 20 dental implants could be safely and successfully placed in a single sitting, these protocols were frequently broken down into smaller, more manageable surgical sessions, each requiring anesthesia, time off from work and follow-up consultations. The costs add up! All on Four implants can almost always be placed in a single surgery, in a single day, significantly reducing the costs patients have to cover in order to have a new set of teeth placed.
   
   
3. All on Four Implants and the Need for Bone Grafting Surgery
   
   Another huge savings that patients can make on oral rehabilitation with All on Four implants is bone grafting surgery. The surgical protocol was cleverly designed to almost always avoid the need for this procedure, which is frequently required (a result of bone loss in the jaw) before dental implants can be placed. This bone volume loss – atrophication - is caused by the missing tooth roots, which play an important role in keeping this hard tissue alive and stimulated. Avoiding bone grafting surgery also means that the entire All on Four implants protocol can be completed in a single day without having to wait for the jaw bone to heal before it’s ready to accept implants.

A Final Note on All on Four Implants

With only four dental implants and a single surgery required to go from toothless to having a full and beautiful smile, patients are looking at saving an average of $25,000 on oral rehabilitation with All on Four implants. For more complex cases of bone loss in the jaw, the savings afforded by All on Four implants can equate to a staggering $45,000!

8 Reasons to Consider All on 4 Implants in Houston Instead of Dentures, PART 4

This four-part article series discusses 8 reasons why patients suffering from rampant tooth loss or edentulism (toothlessness) should opt for “All-on-4” dental implants as their tooth replacement technology of choice.

It has been the purpose of this four-part article series to discuss the benefits and advantages of All on 4 implants in Houston over and above the traditional approach to treating edentulism (not having a single original adult tooth left) and near-edentulism: with removable dentures. With its far more sophisticated and comprehensive solutions, All on 4 implants in Houston enable patients to enjoy full bite functionality, greater smile confidence and generally, a much improved quality of life without the hassles, inconveniences and challenges associated with dentures. In this article, the final installment of the series, we shall take a look at the two remaining reasons why patients should opt for All on 4 implants in Houston as their tooth replacement solution. And we begin with one that has to do with an area that fuels most of our decision-making… finances.

Reasons You Should Consider All on 4 Implants in Houston as the Tooth Replacement Solution for You

Reason # 7: All on 4 Implants in Houston Represent a One-Time Investment

While All on 4 implants in Houston may represent a greater investment than removable dentures upfront, the benefits and advantages, as have been discussed, are beyond question. However, adopting a long term perspective highlights the many ways in which All on 4 implants in Houston actually end up saving patients money! Throughout the course of this article series we have discussed many of the disadvantages of dentures, some of which require the wearer to make repeated investments in certain products. These include the anesthetic gels used to alleviate the pain associated with dentures rubbing against the gums and adhesives used to prevent dentures from slipping around.

Another expense few people consider when having dentures fitted is the need to have them refitted every few years or so as a result of jaw bone atrophy! Unlike All on 4 implants in Houston, dentures don’t do anything to keep the underlying jaw bone alive and stimulated. As a result, the hard tissue wastes away, causing the mouth to change shape, thus requiring new dentures to be fitted. With All on 4 implants in Houston, patients are required to make a single investment in having new teeth placed and the resultant technology is made to last decades; if not a lifetime!

Reason # 8: All on 4 Implants in Houston Can Last a Lifetime!

All on 4 implants in Houston come with an incredibly long lifespan of up to 20, 30 years and even longer if cared for properly. This is as opposed to removable dentures, which, as it was discussed, require refitting every few years or so as a result of bone loss in the jaw. The ironic thing here is that denture-wearers eventually undergo so much jaw bone shrinkage that dentures can no longer offer a viable tooth replacement solution to them! What is frequently recommended by the implant dentist is bone grafting surgery, which is done to augment and encourage the growth of new and healthy hard tissue in the jaw. Subsequent to healing, All on 4 implants in Houston can be placed to provide patients with new teeth. So, ask yourself this question if you are considering dentures: why not just get All on 4 implants in Houston in the first place?

A Final Note on All on 4 Implants in Houston

All on 4 implants in Houston are internationally accepted by dental healthcare professionals to be the best and most sophisticated tooth replacement solution to edentulism and near-edentulism. And with offers of a much better quality of life, why would you settle for anything less?

8 Reasons to Consider All on 4 Implants Instead of Dentures, PART 3

This four-part article series discusses 8 reasons why patients suffering from rampant tooth loss or edentulism (toothlessness) should opt for “All-on-4” dental implants as their tooth replacement technology of choice.

The two previous articles of this series have discussed the first four reasons why patients that are either already edentulous (don’t have a single original adult tooth left) or are facing an immediate future of edentulism should consider All on 4 implants as the future of their oral health. While removable dentures have for many decades been the mainstream approach to providing patients with a new set of teeth, All on 4 implants in Houston, as we have been seeing, offer unparalleled advantages over this archaic technology. The reasons covered so far include:

1.All on 4 implants provide patients with a complete set of fixed and non-removable teeth.

2.All on 4 implants in Houston feel like natural teeth.

3.All on 4 implants in Houston don’t go hand-in-hand with everyday challenges, such as impeded taste ability, triggered gag reflex and the need to remove at nighttime and for cleaning after meals.

4.All on 4 implants in Houston enable you to eat all the foods you love with a much stronger bite force and no discomfort.

In this article, the third installment of the four-part series, we shall discuss another three reasons why you should consider All on 4 implants as your tooth replacement technology of choice!

Reasons You Should Consider All on 4 Implants in Houston as the Tooth Replacement Solution for You

Reason # 5: All on 4 Implants Promote a Natural and Confident Smile

As it was previously discussed, removable dentures rely on their bulkiness to prevent them from slipping around and falling out. The regions of additional mass used to do this are termed ‘flanges’, which tend to push against the lips from the inside of the mouth, causing them to appear stretched and thin. In addition to the self-consciousness people feel from having a hard piece of uncomfortable plastic floating about in their mouths, knowing that your smile is not what it used to be can be crippling to your social confidence. All on 4 implants support a much slimmer dental bridge which doesn’t stretch or have an aging effect on the facial tissues at all. Furthermore, the bridge is custom fabricated to be virtually indistinguishable from a full set of natural teeth. In fact, the optical qualities of the ceramic material used to make the teeth of the bridge closely match that of dental enamel, promoting a natural-looking and confident smile!

Reason # 6: All on 4 Implants in Houston Prevent Premature Aging

This point may sound very similar to the one discussed above, but there is one very important difference. The bridge supported by All on 4 implants not only gives patients an attractive and healthy-looking smile, but the implants themselves prevent atrophy and deterioration of the underlying jaw bone. This in turn preserves one’s natural and youthful facial contours. Nothing condemns one’s smile to early aging like removable dentures. Without the stimulation formerly provided by the tooth roots (or All on 4 implants), the jaw bone atrophies and wastes away, causing that sunken and aged appearance we typically associate with elderly denture wearers (see image below.)

All on 4 Implants in Houston: Stay Tuned

To read more about the reasons edentulous and near-edentulous patients should opt for All on 4 implants in Houston instead of removable dentures as their tooth replacement technology of choice, stay tuned for the final installment of this four-part article series!