Tooth Replacement

Today there are natural-looking options for one missing tooth, several, or a full arch.

Comparing your options

Option	How it is held in place	Removable?	Good for
Dental implants	A titanium post in the jawbone	No	One tooth, several teeth, or anchoring dentures
Bridges	Bonded to the teeth beside the gap	No	One or a few missing teeth with healthy neighbors
Dentures	Rest on the gums, or clip to remaining teeth	Yes	Many or all teeth in an arch

The best choice depends on how many teeth are missing, the health of your remaining teeth and gums, and the bone available in your jaw. Implants can also be combined with dentures for a more secure fit.

What happens when a tooth is missing

After a tooth is lost, the bone that held it slowly shrinks, and the teeth beside and above the gap begin to drift. Over time this can change your bite, make chewing harder, and change the shape of your face. Replacing a tooth sooner rather than later keeps these changes to a minimum, and is often simpler and less costly.

How to choose

• Implants feel and work most like natural teeth and protect the jawbone, but they take several months and need healthy bone.
• Bridges are fixed and usually finished in a few weeks, but they rely on crowns on the neighboring teeth.
• Dentures replace many teeth at once at a lower cost, and can be made more secure with implants.

Planning your treatment

Your consultation starts with an exam and X-rays to check your gums and bone. If you have gum disease, we treat it first, and if a tooth needs to come out, we plan the extraction and its replacement together. We will walk through the timeline and cost of each option, and our financial information page explains payment, including CareCredit.

Request an appointment and we will walk through each option with you.