Isn’t Just A Crown Enough?

Most people think that dental implants are a great idea, and really like this relatively new technology- but only in theory. Once the actual physical costs (both biological and financial) are realized, one of the first things that middle income patients do is start to look for a way around the tiny titanium screw. This makes sense, as one always wants to check all options before embarking on a quest that may end up costing thousands of pounds- but there isn’t always a better solution.

Dental implant vs. just a crown

The main thing is that dental implants completely replace all parts of the tooth in question; not just the visible parts, not just the function or appearance of the tooth, it is as if you still had your biological tooth in there.

Why is this important?

Because the tissues that uphold the crown, the alveolus, starts to disintegrate if there is no tooth in it, which drastically raises the instances of tooth loss, weakens the mouth, and causes teeth to shift around. Your mouth is like one organ made up of many tiny organs, they all have individual lives, yet they interact with each other and are dependent on each other. When one tooth goes, tooth loss as a condition starts, and the alveolus that holds the teeth starts to become ill, affecting all of the teeth. Only a dental implant replaces the tooth root with an artificial replacement, stopping this process. But sometimes, just a crown will do.

When is just a crown better?

- If you are in poor oral health, your gums are infected or are not doing so good and you have weak jawbones,. a dental implant may cause more harm than good, and then getting just a crown maybe the better option, but only temporarily, until your condition is fixed.
- If you have certain systemic diseases, like osteoporosis, diabetes, haemophilia or HIV, you may not be eligible for a dental implant. Many diseases simply inhibit the patient from getting a dental implant at all, or make getting it not worth the stress and pain the patient may go through, or the condition may necessarily cause the dental implant to fail. In these cases a crown is better.
- If you have severe underbite
- If you are undergoing radiation therapy, or are taking bisphosphonate drugs (typically prescribed for cancer patients), then getting a dental implant is too much of a risk, and can lead to very serious unwanted consequences.

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