Losing a tooth is common. It can happen through decay, gum disease, an accident or an old root canal that failed. What to do next is less obvious. There are three main ways to replace a missing tooth, and each makes sense for different people.
Why replace it at all?
A gap at the front is obvious. A gap at the back is easy to ignore, but it matters:
- Chewing shifts to the other side, overloading those teeth.
- Neighbouring teeth drift and tilt into the space, and the opposite tooth can grow down into it. This changes your bite and makes cleaning harder.
- The jawbone shrinks where a tooth is missing, which can make later replacement harder.
Option 1: Dental implant
A titanium post is placed into the jaw where the root used to be. Over a few months the bone bonds to it, and a crown is fixed on top.
Good for: replacing a single tooth without touching the neighbours; people who want the closest thing to a natural tooth. Consider: it involves a minor surgical procedure and a healing period of about three to six months. Uncontrolled diabetes and smoking reduce success rates. Some patients need bone grafting first.
Option 2: Bridge
The teeth on either side of the gap are shaped and crowned, and a false tooth is fixed between them.
Good for: quicker results, usually two visits about a week apart, with no surgery. Ideal when the neighbouring teeth already need crowns. Consider: healthy teeth have to be reduced to support it, and you need to clean under the bridge with a floss threader or interdental brush every day.
Option 3: Denture
A removable plate carrying one or more false teeth. Partial dentures clip onto remaining teeth; complete dentures replace a whole arch.
Good for: several missing teeth; the most affordable option; no surgery. Consider: dentures take a few weeks to get used to, need removing for cleaning, and are less stable than fixed options. A loose lower denture can be transformed by clipping it onto two implants.
At a glance
| Implant | Bridge | Denture | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed in place | Yes | Yes | No (removable) |
| Affects neighbouring teeth | No | Yes | Clasps only |
| Surgery | Minor | No | No |
| Typical timeline | 3–6 months | ~1 week | 2–4 weeks |
How we decide together
At your consultation we look at the space, the teeth around it, your bone, your gums and your general health, and we ask what matters to you. Time, budget, how it looks. Then we explain which options would genuinely work and recommend one, with reasons.
Visiting from abroad? Implants can usually be split across two trips home: placement on the first, the crown on the next. Bridges and dentures can often be completed within a single stay of one to two weeks. Contact us before you travel and we’ll plan around your dates.
