Teeth need each other for support
An implant with a crown
A dental bridge

Alternatives to Bridges

What are your choices for replacing missing teeth?

When you're missing one or more teeth, you have several options:

• Delay treatment
• Use a space maintainer
• Choose implants
• Try a partial denture
• Choose a bridge

If you delay treatment, the situation will only get worse. Teeth need each other for support, and when one or more teeth are lost, the teeth on either side begin to shift position. When a tooth no longer has anything to chew against, it can begin to extrude out of its socket.

Space maintainers are usually used on children as a temporary solution when baby teeth have been lost early. They maintain the space until the permanent tooth comes in.They're not intended as a solution for replacing permanent teeth.

An implant with a crown might be a possibility. Treatment time is longer, but we wouldn't have to prepare the teeth next to the space.

A partial denture could work well if several teeth are missing throughout the mouth. It fills in the spaces and restores your natural bite.

Choosing a dental bridge

A dental bridge is an excellent way to replace one or more missing teeth and restore stability to your mouth. A dental bridge is cemented to the teeth next to the space, and those teeth hold the bridge in place and provide support. Bridges are easy to care for, and they look great.