The human mouth is designed to work with 28 interacting teeth. Each tooth connects with two other teeth in the opposing arch. However, in this case our specialists can replace a missing teeth in Panama.<\/p>\n
When you lose one tooth there will be a knock-on effect.<\/p>\n
The teeth either side of the gap begin to collapse inwards and the opposing teeth start to move. This results in abnormal tooth alignment.<\/p>\n
The longer you wait to replace missing teeth, the more complicated replacement gets and the more costly. You may even sacrifice replacement options \u2013 for example, the bone at the gap resorbs over time and so an implant may not be feasible.<\/p>\n
The available tooth replacement options are: dentures, implant-supported crowns, and bridges.<\/p>\n
A dental implant consists of an implant crown and an implant screw, whereas a dental bridge consists of two crowns and one dental pontic (floating tooth that replaces the missing tooth).<\/p>\n
The primary consideration as to whether implant or bridge is the best option is the condition of the teeth adjacent to the gap. If the bounding teeth are in good condition, then an implant is probably the way to go. However, if the adjacent teeth are in poor condition, heavily filled, with poor cosmetics then they would probably need crowning anyway<\/p>\n
Another consideration is how long the tooth has been missing \u2013 whether you\u2019ve had a recent extraction, or the gap has been there for a while.<\/p>\n
Is there a tooth still present that needs to be removed? That might mean the need for a temporary tooth if the gap is visible when you smile. In the case of an implant, you would likely need a temporary denture for a few months, which is not as comfortable as a temporary bridge.<\/p>\n
Why a temporary denture or temporary bridge? The answer is for healing. In most cases, the recent extraction site needs to heal for several weeks before an implant or bridge can be placed, so that gum shrinkage doesn\u2019t affect the cosmetics of the end result.<\/p>\n
Another consideration in general is the position of the gap. Is it in the front or back of the mouth?<\/p>\n
These considerations all affect the decision as to whether to have a dental bridge or dental implant. Generally, there is little cost difference between a dental bridge and a dental implant.<\/p>\n