Missing a Tooth? Here's How the Three Ways to Replace It Compare
Dr Nader Gavgani, GDC 75484Published 8 min read
You have three ways to replace a missing tooth
A missing tooth can be replaced with a dental implant (a titanium post fixed in the jawbone), a dental bridge (a false tooth held by the teeth either side), or a denture (a removable appliance). Which one is right depends on your bone, your budget, and how many teeth are involved — not on which sounds best.
It's worth replacing a gap for reasons that go beyond appearance. Neighbouring teeth tilt into the space, the tooth opposite it drifts, chewing shifts onto the other side of your mouth, and the bone underneath the gap gradually shrinks. None of that reverses itself.
An implant is the only one of the three that replaces the root as well as the tooth — which is why it's the only option that stops the bone underneath from shrinking.
Implants vs bridges vs dentures
| Dental implant | Dental bridge | Denture | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it's held in place | Fixed — a titanium post in the jawbone | Fixed — cemented to the teeth either side | Removable — clips or rests on the gum |
| Effect on neighbouring teeth | None — they're left untouched | They're reshaped to hold the bridge | None, unless a partial denture clasps onto them |
| Protects the jawbone? | Yes — it loads the bone like a natural root | No — bone under the gap still shrinks | No — bone under the gap still shrinks |
| Typical cost here | from £2,000 | £850 per unit (a single gap is usually 3 units) | from £850 per arch (acrylic) to £1,350 (Sunflex) |
| Typical timeline | Several months, healing time included | Two to three weeks, two appointments | A few weeks, including adjustment fittings |
Neither a bridge nor a denture is automatically the wrong choice. A bridge is quicker and costs less than an implant, but it means reshaping healthy teeth. A denture is the least invasive and least expensive option, and modern implant-retained dentures have made it far more secure than it used to be.
A denture is reversible and the least expensive route, and it can often be upgraded later — including onto implants, if a loose lower denture is the actual problem.
Could the tooth have been saved instead?
Before any of the above is relevant, the first question is always whether the tooth needs to come out at all. A filling, a crown or root canal treatment saves a great many teeth that look beyond help — and your own tooth, kept, is almost always better than anything that replaces it.
Extraction is the right answer only when a tooth genuinely can't be saved. If that's where you are, replacing it is the next decision — and this is the comparison to have in mind before your consultation, not during it.
Related reading
- What happens during root canal treatment — the option that keeps your own tooth.
- Wisdom tooth extraction: what to expect — when a tooth genuinely has to come out.
- Dental Implants · Dental Bridges · Dentures — the full detail on each option.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can I have an implant for one gap and a bridge for another?
Yes — the three options aren't exclusive of each other, and plenty of people end up with a mix based on what each individual gap needs. It's assessed tooth by tooth, not as one blanket decision for your whole mouth.
Is it too late to replace a tooth I lost years ago?
Rarely. Bone that's shrunk over time can often be rebuilt before an implant is placed, and a bridge or denture doesn't depend on bone volume in the same way. Come in and we'll tell you honestly what your options actually are now.
Which option is cheapest in the long run, not just upfront?
It depends on the gap. An implant costs more upfront but rarely needs replacing; a bridge or denture costs less upfront but is more likely to need attention — a reline, a repair, or eventual replacement — over the years. We'll talk through the real lifetime cost at your assessment, not just the day-one price.
Not sure which option suits your gap?
Reviewed by Dr Nader Gavgani, GDC 75484