Missing One Tooth? Implant vs Bridge vs Partial Denture

Do you need to replace a missing tooth at all?

Not always. A missing wisdom tooth, or sometimes a back tooth with no tooth opposite it, may be fine left alone. Your dentist will tell you if that’s the case.

For most other teeth, though, a gap can cause slow changes over months and years:

• Neighbouring teeth can tilt into the space, opening small gaps that trap food and are harder to clean.
• The opposite tooth can drift up or down into the gap, because it has nothing to bite against.
• The bone shrinks. Without a root in it, the jawbone where the tooth was gradually gets thinner and lower.
• Chewing can shift to the other side, and a gap at the front can affect your smile and speech.

These changes don’t happen to everyone, and they’re usually slow. But they can make a later bridge or implant more involved, so it’s worth talking through your options early, ideally before or soon after the tooth comes out.

Option 1: a dental implant

A small titanium post is placed in the jawbone where the root used to be. Over the next few months the bone bonds to it. A connector (the abutment) and a custom crown, shaded to match your teeth, then go on top. Read more about single tooth implants.

Why people choose it:

• The teeth either side aren’t touched, which matters most when they’re healthy and unfilled.
• It’s fixed in place and you clean it much like a natural tooth.
• The implant sits in the bone, which helps maintain it at that site.

Things to weigh up:

• It involves minor surgery under local anaesthetic, and the whole process usually takes 3–6 months.
• You need enough healthy bone. If there isn’t enough, bone grafting or, for upper back teeth, a sinus lift may be needed first, which adds time and cost.
• Smoking, uncontrolled diabetes and active gum disease can affect healing, so they’re checked and managed first.
• It usually costs more upfront than a partial denture.

In selected cases, an implant can be placed at the same visit as an extraction (an immediate implant). Whether that suits you depends on the tooth, the bone and any infection, and it’s assessed at your consultation.

Option 2: a dental bridge

A conventional bridge is a single piece made of three units: crowns on the two teeth either side of the gap, joined to a false tooth in the middle. The supporting teeth are trimmed so the crowns fit over them, and the bridge is cemented in place. See crowns and bridges.

Why people choose it:

• It’s fixed, and there’s no surgery.
• It’s usually finished in about two visits over two to three weeks.
• If the teeth either side already have large fillings or need crowns anyway, a bridge can protect them and replace the gap at the same time.

Things to weigh up:

• Trimming healthy teeth for crowns can’t be undone.
• The supporting teeth carry the load for three, and if one of them develops a problem, the whole bridge may need to be replaced.
• You need to clean under the false tooth every day with floss threaders or small brushes.
• A bridge doesn’t sit in the bone, so the bone under the false tooth can still shrink.

In some cases, mostly at the front, a resin-bonded bridge (a false tooth held by a thin wing glued to the back of the neighbouring tooth) needs little or no trimming. Whether it’s an option depends on your bite.

Option 3: a removable partial denture

A false tooth is set in a gum-coloured plate, either acrylic or with a thin metal framework, that rests on the gum. Small clasps hook around nearby teeth to hold it in place. You take it out to clean it and usually overnight.

Why people choose it:

• No surgery, and no trimming of the neighbouring teeth.
• The lowest upfront cost of the three options.
• More teeth can often be added to it later if needed.
• It can be a temporary option while an implant site heals.

Things to weigh up:

• It can move when you eat or talk, and some people never get used to the feel of the plate.
• The clasps put some load on the teeth they grip, and food can collect around them.
• It doesn’t help maintain the bone, so it may need relining or remaking over time as the gum and bone change shape.

Side by side

How long does each one take?

An implant takes longest because the bone needs time to heal around it, usually two to four months, before the crown goes on. You won’t be left with a gap at the front while it heals: a temporary tooth can be made.

Which one might suit you?

There’s no single right answer, but these situations often point one way:

• The teeth either side are healthy and unfilled: an implant avoids trimming them.
• The teeth either side already need crowns: a bridge can fix both problems at once.
• You’d rather avoid surgery, or a medical condition makes it riskier: a bridge or partial denture.
• Several teeth are missing in different places: one partial denture can replace them all, or a few implants may be planned over time.
• Budget is the main concern right now: a partial denture now, with an implant later, is a common plan. Payment options can also spread the cost.
• You’ve been told there isn’t enough bone: that doesn’t always rule an implant out. Grafting may rebuild the site first.

What happens at a consultation

The implant consultation at Perth Prime Dental is free. We examine the gap and the teeth around it, check your gums and bite, and take X-rays to see the bone. Then we explain which options suit you, with the pros, cons and a written, itemised quote for each, so you can compare them properly. Nothing goes ahead until you’ve decided.

Health fund rebates can be claimed on the spot with HICAPS where your cover includes major dental. Prices for each option are on our single tooth implant and crowns and bridges pages.

Having a tooth taken out soon? Ask about replacement options before the extraction. Our guide to what to expect from a tooth extraction explains how the socket heals.

Talk through your options

We’re in London Court, 1/58 St Georges Terrace, Perth, a short walk from Perth Underground.

Call (08) 9325 4175 Book online

Frequently asked questions

General information only, not a substitute for advice about your own teeth. Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.