The 5 Existing Alternatives To Dental Implants

When it comes to replacing one or more of your teeth completely, dental implants are a good and long-lasting option. However, many patients choose to avoid them whenever feasible.

The medical reasons for adopting a different treatment option are always up to the patient. But what are your possibilities for tooth replacement?

Today, we'll look at five real-world alternatives to dental implants. These options will help you improve your smile without the dreaded implant.

When are Dental Implants Necessary?
Some people dread dental implants, but anyone who has the benefit of having a dental implant or therapy for a deteriorating tooth is fortunate. Dentistry has only been practiced for about a century in America.

Dental implants are now required when too much of your tooth has decayed or gotten infected, threatening your oral health and possibly causing rot on your jaw.

In many cases, there is no alternative option for healing or restoring your mouth's health.

Alternatives to Dental Implants
A few other options may provide a less intrusive treatment that many people prefer to implants. However, there isn't always a simple solution or alternative for everyone, so consider all of your possibilities before deciding on something specific.

1. Gum Disease Treatments
Gum disease can damage or decimate your tooth enamel, resulting in decay and cavity development over time. Severe gum disease may even cause your teeth to become loose. However, with correct regenerative care, it is possible to recover your gums.

While this option doesn’t always produce the best outcomes, it is typically a decent starting point for individuals who have not lost any substantial tooth or jawbone structure. If nothing else, you'll be able to avoid more tooth loss and maintain your natural teeth for longer.

2. Root Canal Procedure
If you have a dangerous infection inside your tooth, you can consider a root canal procedure to clear it out and restore its health. This alternative to dental implants is typically employed when damage or decay within the tooth may be removed and replaced with fillings.

The filling is placed in the space left by the diseased pulp of your tooth. A crown will be placed on the tooth to prevent additional decay or infection. If the damage to your tooth is not serious, you may not even require a crown to seal it.

3. Classic Dental Bridge
If you already have a lost tooth and would like an alternative to an implant, a dental bridge may be the correct solution for you. This restoration treatment installs two crowns on either side of the gap where your tooth is missing, followed by a replacement tooth in the center. Dental bridges provide the appearance of an implant without the difficulties connected with it.

This solution is less expensive than dental implants and does not require surgery, but it is not as durable.

4. Maryland Dental Bridge
Instead of preparing adjacent teeth for crowns, this bridge creates a new artificial tooth with little wings on each side. After preparing for crowns, the wings link to adjoining teeth and help hold everything together until it heals completely.

One significant advantage of using the Maryland bridge is that no anesthetic or Novocain injections are required because the structure of the adjacent teeth is preserved.

5. Partial or Full Mouth Dentures
When implants and crowns aren't the way you want to improve your smile, dentures may be a good option. Dentures are full or partial replacement sets that fit over your gums in the same way as natural teeth do.

Dentures feel like genuine teeth in your mouth when they come into contact with your tongue, cheeks, and lips. They can be custom-adjusted to fit perfectly in your mouth, leaving you and anybody else who sees your grin unable to tell the difference.

Is Doing Nothing an Option?
You may wish to avoid going to the dentist or paying for treatment. However, ignoring your teeth problems makes the alternative much more expensive and harder to address in the long run.