19 Apr Braces vs. Dental Implants To Close A Gap Left By A Missing Tooth

Having a good, well aligned and balanced bite with your own natural teeth is going to be better than trying to achieve the same with dental implants, or any other man-made prosthesis. In some circumstances, braces are thought to be the most effective approach to close gaps.

Metal wires, elastic chains, and other components make up braces, which pull teeth together to close gaps. Patients might choose lingual, gold, metal, or Invisalign braces as part of their therapy to help them regain a beautiful smile in as little as six months in some cases.

Traditional orthodontic treatment can be beneficial in both mild and severe cases of misalignment. However, there are instances whereby dental implants are indicated as part of an overall orthodontic treatment plan. Dental implants may be suggested in situations where gaps are too large to be predictably closed with braces.

There is no cookie cutter approach to answering this question so every case has to be assessed on its unique merits and the risks and benefits discussed. It’s hard to describe absolute ” trade-offs” between braces and dental implants, because there is no perfect option that would work for everyone.

Braces can take up to 2-3 years for some cases, and dental implants sometimes only 4 months. So there might be a benefit in terms of time if you choose implants. There’s no surgery involved in braces, but if you consider dental implants, surgery is required.

Braces move all your natural teeth into its most favorable bite position, whereas a dental implant just replaces one single tooth. If you don’t close the gap, the neighboring teeth might collapse into the space and the imbalance in your bite may get worse, resulting in some teeth being subjected to more stress than others. 

This will in turn result in uneven wear and tear of your teeth over time. If time is not a factor, I would strongly suggest that you consider braces, to move all of your teeth to their most ideal bite and aesthetic position, if it means you can avoid getting a dental implant.

If you need braces and orthodontic treatment as well as dental implants, it is usually suggested that you get the braces and orthodontic treatment first. This is not always possible if you are missing all or most of your teeth, in which case implants may be recommended first.

Dental implants are not able to move once they have been inserted in your mouth, thus they will not shift even if you undergo orthodontic therapy. Patients frequently require orthodontic therapy in order to make room for dental implants, particularly if their bone structure has altered over time and if neighboring teeth have encroached into the space.

In some cases, dental implants can be placed before orthodontic treatment is completed. One of these instances would be when the teeth surrounding the dental implant do not require braces or treatment. It would then be fine if the dental implant(s) were placed before the braces.

Another instance in which dental implants can be placed before braces is when the implant will be used as an anchor point for the braces. The teeth would not be able to be properly positioned without the dental implant.