River Walk Dental Orthodontics

1431 Palo Alto Rd, Suite 104, San Antonio, TX 78211

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What’s The Difference Between Dentures and Bridges?

Your smile is the brightest, and your teeth are the strongest component of your personality. Whether it is your interview day or a special occasion, your smile is enough to set everything straight. Nevertheless, a gap or space forms within your teeth over time, and sometimes it becomes noticeable. It may make you feel embarrassed and lose self-confidence.

There are two principal options to fill the gap. Partial Dentures and Dental Bridges are the two traditional procedures to bring back that magnificent appearance. Both of them offer a great way to solve this issue, except your treatment choice entirely depends on you and your lifestyle. We have divided the options for you to choose, and for that, here’s the difference between the two.

Dental Bridges
A dental bridge refers to a prosthetic that is fixed in your mouth permanently. These artificial teeth are a way of filling the teeth gaps and restoring a bridge. Your dentist first bonds the neighboring teeth through a custom made moulded denture. The porcelain crowns are later implanted over the adjoining teeth and fill the bridge gap. If there are no neighboring teeth, then the crowns are flanked over the dental implants. Bridges are made up of various materials and wholly depend on your selection. They usually last from 5-15 years and must be cleaned regularly for more prolonged life. In short, dental bridges are fixed restoration and are permanent.

Partial Dentures
On the other side, Partial dentures are a flexible and affordable solution to your problem. These are not attached and are removable, unlike dental bridges. Habitually, you have to clean the dentures by removing it before you nod off. Partial Dentures hold a risk of stains and plaque build-up if not cleaned properly. They usually come in two materials, plastic and metal. The ones made with metal are stronger, whereas the plastic ones are affordable. These also have an alloy of cobalt and chromium having an artificial pink colored gum texture upon which the false teeth are implanted. These acrylic tinted pink plates are made to give you a more natural look. In recent times, they are also made up of nylon. A partial denture is attached to your mouth using clasps or precision attachments that clip onto your natural teeth. Therefore, Partial denture is an adequate solution for people who are at the risk of teeth loss in the future, without causing a big blow to their pocket.

Which one to choose?
If you only have one or two teeth missing, then dental bridges are a more fitting alternative for you. They are permanent, and the bridge restoration is produced on existing strong gums and teeth. On the other hand, if many teeth are missing or hold a possibility of teeth loss in the future, or you are ready for false teeth, then Partial dentures are what you need. They are removable and resistant. Your dentist can help you pick the treatment type according to your oral health. In this blog, we summed up the significant differences for you, and we hope that it helps you make the right choice.

Book Appointment to find out which treatment might be best for you.