I am 60 years old and have never needed much dental work, but a couple of years ago I had two teeth removed on my right side. This has left one tooth standing by itself with a space on either side. Should I get a bridge, (because the gum is starting to recede around this lone tooth). I’ve read that implants will cause bone erosion.
- Yvette from Indiana
Yvette,
Implants actually prevent bone erosion, or I would call it bone resorption. Yes, the gum will recede after a tooth has been missing for a couple of years, and your body will take the minerals from that bone and use them elsewhere in your body. But if a dental implant is used to replace that tooth, your body senses the presence of the implant and will not dissolve that bone away.
Having said that, that doesn’t necessarily mean that an implant is the best option for you for a tooth replacement. That depends on other factors, how much bone is left, where nerves or sinuses are, and other issues. That would have to come from a good examination by a dentist who has expertise in implant dentistry. If you don’t get implants to replace the teeth, then a bridge would probably work fine.
Links:
Read about the pros and cons of a bridge vs. a dental implant.
Read about facial collapse that occurs when you have lost all your teeth, unless they are replaced with implants.