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Should I Get a Dental Implant or a Bridge?
Should I Get a Dental Implant or a Bridge?

Should I Get a Dental Implant or a Bridge?

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Last September, I had a root canal that went bad. My dentist tried to save the tooth, but he couldn’t. So last week, he extracted the tooth. It’s a front tooth, too. I’m going back and forth with whether to replace it with a dental bridge or an implant. And I’m not sure if I’ll let my dentist do the work or find a new dentist to do it. Other than the cost, would I be making a mistake if I asked for a bridge? Thanks, Octavia from Charleston, SC

Octavia,

There are several factors to consider when you have a missing tooth. It is essential to replace the tooth for function and appearance, but you should consider the long-term effects of treatment on your budget and your oral health.

Dental Implant vs. Bridge

An imitaiton dental crown and implant

Model of a dental crown and dental implant with a crown

Dental implant considerations: If you receive a dental implant, it will not affect teeth on either side of the missing one. A dentist or surgeon places the implant in your jawbone. After a healing period, your dentist will attach a dental crown. You can get an implant and a temporary replacement tooth on the same day. Dental implants are generally more expensive than a dental bridge, but they are also permanent. The implant will look and feel like your natural teeth. High-quality implants can last a lifetime.

Dental bridge considerations: The bridge work will be less expensive than an implant. The tooth on either side of the missing tooth must be shaved down for the bridge to fit over it. The missing tooth is suspended between the two crowns. If you take good care of it, a bridge can last ten to fifteen years. It will eventually need to be replaced.

In either case, select an artistic cosmetic dentist to do the work. Whether you choose a dental implant or a bridge, you will get natural-looking results. If you choose an implant, avoid looking for cheap implants or insisting on getting the lowest cost for them. Costly implant mistakes can occur when shortcuts are taken.

We suggest that you schedule consultations with at least two cosmetic dentists to discuss your options and the cost.

San Antonio dentist Dr. Gilberto Tostado sponsors this post.

Her Dentist is Missing it on This Infection

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I had a root canal treatment a few years back. Last month my cheek started to ache near the spot that I had the root canal treatment. I called my dentist and he did some x-rays. It seems that the spot has re-infected. He did another root canal treatment and gave me some Penicillin. Ten days later,  and I actually felt worse. He suggested that I give it some more time because some people take longer than others to heal. It’s been another week and I feel my cheek swelling up. How long should I expect it to take before I start to feel better? Is it reasonable to ask for a different antibiotic? I don’t think this one was working.

Amanda

Dear Amanda,

Woman holding her cheek in pain and in need of an emergency dentist

 

Your dentist is making two mistakes here. the first thing I want you to do is to call a root canal specialist. You have a dental emergency on your hands here.  Let’s start with the antibiotic. Penicillin is not the best choice for a dental infection. These types of infections really need a stronger antibiotic in order to give your body the backup to heal.  I would have suggested he provide you with Clyndimyacin. When you call the specialist, tell him or her what is going on and ask them to prescribe a more appropriate antibiotic.

The second mistake is not paying attention to your symptoms. When a root canal treatment is done, they can fail even when the dentist does everything right. That leads to a re-treatment. The problem is the chances of success go down significantly with each proceeding treatment. If it failed the first time, there is a greater chance it will fail the second time and even a larger chance of the third time. You have all the indications of the second treatment failing and he just wasn’t putting two and two together.

My hope is that your tooth can be saved by getting to a root canal specialist quickly. If it can’t, the next step is a tooth extraction. When that happens, you need to give serious thought to your tooth replacement. You don’t want to leave the space open. The adjacent teeth will begin to shift or tip into the empty space. This will throw off your bite and could lead to more serious issues such as TMJ disorder. The way to prevent this is to replace the tooth as soon as possible. If you’re looking for the best tooth replacement, I would recommend a dental implant. There are other options though which your dentist can go over with you should that become necessary.

First step, call that specialist right away.

This blog is brought to you by San Antonio Dentist Dr. Tostado.
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