Single Dental Implant

Single tooth dental implants

Replacing a missing or failing tooth with a single tooth implant has great benefits over the alternative options of a bridge or denture.

In most cases the treatment is very quick, (usually taking less time in the chair than a crown or root treatment), is virtually pain-free, and the recovery is normally simple and straightforward. Most patients report less discomfort after an implant is placed than following an extraction by their dentist.

Compare this to a conventional dental bridge attached to the teeth either side of the gap – your dentist will have to cut down the teeth in order to make room for the bridge. Along with the increased load they also now bear, this reduces the lifespan of bridges significantly. When a bridge fails, one or both of the supporting teeth usually fails, leading to an ever-widening gap!

A denture is rarely an ideal replacement for missing teeth. They are often uncomfortable, can similarly damage the adjacent teeth and gums, and will usually become loose over of time as your gums continue to shrink beneath them. In addition, dentures need to be removed at night time, something that is simply becoming less socially acceptable these days.

It is important to replace missing or failing teeth as with fewer teeth on which to chew, the stresses on the remaining teeth increase and reduce their lifespan. Unopposed teeth can change position and interfere with the way you bite and chew, so causing further damage in the future.