Family Encyclopedia >> Health

Fixed and removable dental prostheses:how to choose?


During a tooth extraction, the implant dentist replaces the tooth. In terms of dental implants, patients can choose from different types of products, which more or less adapt to their needs. To help you make a choice, Dentego, an expert in implantology, has drawn up a portrait of each dental implant for you.

The dental implant

What is called a "dental implant" is an artificial root of a tooth, made entirely of titanium. After having installed it in place of an extracted tooth, the dentist specialist in implantology comes to fix a permanent crown. Implantologist dentists very often use dental implants as a replacement for a lost tooth. And for good reason. The dental implant has various advantages for the patient:

  • Aesthetics:dental implants cannot be differentiated from natural teeth with the naked eye.
  • The permanent aspect:the dental implant is kept for life, and the crown is changed approximately every twenty years.
  • Preservation of the bone:the dental implant has the effect of stimulating the maintenance of the bone of the patient's jaw.
  • Respect for the teeth:implantology does not require the devitalization of other teeth.
  • Price of the dental implant:if this solution is not the least expensive, it is the most durable of all.

The dental bridge

The dental bridge, which is better known as a dental "bridge", is another implantology solution offered to patients. It relies on the teeth that are on either side of the missing tooth and it attaches permanently. It is therefore comfortable. This solution is more expensive than braces, but also more aesthetic and pleasant. On the other hand, it has some significant disadvantages:

  • It does not replace the root of the tooth, and therefore promotes bone loss in the jaw. The gums become hollow over time, which can lead to the loosening of the teeth present under the dental bridge.
  • The dental bridge requires the devitalization of the teeth located on either side of the missing tooth. These then become more fragile and their treatment generally requires additional costs.

The dental crown

The implant dentist sometimes uses the dental crown to repair a tooth when there is still the root and possibly part of the tooth. This is an alternative solution to the complete extraction of the tooth, even if this crown generally only lasts about ten years (compared to twenty, for the complete implant).

The placement of a crown by an implantologist dentist makes it possible to maintain the bone mass of the gums, while preserving the natural root of the tooth. If necessary, it is then possible to extract the root of the tooth and place a complete dental implant. In addition, you should know that dental extraction is preferred when the root has a cavity or in case of infection.

The removable dental prosthesis

This fourth solution proposed in implantology is an alternative that is less and less sought after by dentists specializing in implantology. If it is the least expensive solution, it is also the least comfortable of all.

The prosthesis rests on the palate and the gums, and can have harmful effects:flattening of the gums, swallowing reflexes, gastric reflux, loss of taste... In addition, the removable dental prosthesis is not fixed and can lose of its adhesion over time.

What to infer

It is often preferable to pay the price of the dental implant, and to take advantage of its many advantages over the long term. Unsuitable prostheses have significant drawbacks in terms of comfort, durability and treatment (devitalization of teeth).