Dr. Goldstein,
Is a 4-tooth bridge or a partial denture for the upper molars better? Which is less costly? What is the least expensive type of cap or crown available that won’t be seem?
- Judy from Illinois
Judy,
You would need a four-tooth dental bridge if you have two missing teeth, side-by-side. In a situation like this, a bridge would be better than a partial denture, and here is why:
The full name would be a “removable partial denture.” This is where false teeth are fastened to a plate, which is then clasped to your teeth. Not only can this be uncomfortable, but if you don’t take great pains to clean them after every time you eat, it can easily promote decay on the spots where the partial attaches.
But you left out the option that I think is really the best, and that is dental implants. Especially if you have two missing teeth side-by-side, the bridge has a drawback in that it now places all the stress for four teeth onto the two teeth that the bridge is attached to. But if you have dental implants, there is no grinding away of those adjacent teeth, and no extra stress put on them. And the implants will require less maintenance and probably a lower risk of failure or complications down the road.
Cost is another issue. Depending on your dentist, the fee for the dental implants and for the bridge are going to be close to the same, or the implants may be somewhat higher. The removable partial will be much cheaper, at least in the short run. It will probably be around half or even one-quarter of the cost of the other options. Of course, if the teeth that are clasped are eventually damaged and then you lose those or need to have them crowned, the removable partial could be the most expensive option in the long run.
Related information:
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