Implant or bridge? Choosing how to replace a missing tooth

A bridge replaces a missing tooth by crowning the two teeth on either side and suspending a false tooth between them. An implant places a titanium root in the bone and crowns only that.

The decisive question is the condition of the neighbouring teeth. If they are already heavily filled or root-treated and need crowns anyway, a bridge uses that work efficiently. If they are pristine, grinding them down to support a bridge destroys healthy tooth structure permanently.

Bone matters for implants. After extraction, the ridge resorbs. If there is insufficient height or width, grafting or a sinus lift adds cost and months to the timeline. A CBCT scan answers this definitively.

Timeline: a bridge is done in about a week. An implant takes three to six months for osseointegration before the crown goes on, though a temporary can bridge the gap aesthetically.

Longevity: well-maintained implants have survival rates above 95 percent at ten years. Bridges average eight to twelve years, usually failing because decay develops under an abutment crown.

Cost: a three-unit bridge and a single implant with crown often land in a similar range in Chennai. The difference is what happens next - a failed bridge usually means losing two more teeth, a failed implant is localised.