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The loss of one or more teeth, for whatever reason, can have dramatic implications on your dental health. In more obvious cases, your appearance may be compromised, you may find difficulty eating or biting or you may simply loose confidence about smiling or showing your teeth.

If the gap remains long term, your appearance may alter as a result of bone shrinkage, or remaining teeth could drift into the gap, resulting in problems associated with 'bite'.

There are three commonly accepted ways to replace missing teeth which are:

1) Removable Dentures (click for further info)
2) Fixed Bridges (click for further info)
3) Implants

For any of these treatments to be successful, your mouth should be decay and gum disease free and maintained at a high level of cleanliness.

These are commonly made of acrylic or metal.

Advantages:
1) completed in a few weeks
2) unlikely to need surgery
3) lower cost

Disadvantages:
1) may be unstable
2) sometimes cannot be tolerated
3) accumulates plaque or food debris more rapidly
4) does not prevent bone loss

Usually requires two healthy teeth on either side of the gap. The gap should not be very large.

Advantages:
1) completed in a few visits
2) unlikely to need surgery
3) teeth are fixed and immovable

Disadvantages:
1) may require cutting healthy teeth
2) if one bridge support is compromised, the entire bridge may need to be discarded and replaced
3) may be difficult to remove plaque since floss cannot pass easily between teeth
4) higher cost
5) does not prevent bone loss

Implants are firm titanium posts which are placed directly into the jaw. They can be used to replace a single tooth, be a support for fixed bridges or used to anchor an unstable denture.

Advantages:
1) teeth are fixed and do not move
2) do chance of further dental decay
3) does not require cutting into healthy teeth
4) well-documented longevity (long lasting solution)
5) prevents bone loss

Disadvantages:
1) prolonged treatment time
2) requires surgery
3) higher cost
4) difficult to remove plaque as floss cannot pass easily between teeth and implant

Dentures made at the time of tooth loss can become loose and shrinkage of the underlying bone and gum continues. Over many years the loss or atrophy of the bone supporting the denture can become so extensive that it can become difficult to construct well-fitting dentures.

The consequence of bone shrinkage also influences the muscles of the lip and face. Over time, the lips fall back and the face collapses where support for muscles diminishes.

Thus, loss of bone following the removal of teeth can have a profound effect on chewing, talking, appearance and even self-confidence.

There is abundant evidence that dental implants can prevent the shrinking of the bone into which they are placed. For this reason, the consequences of bone loss are avoided. Moreover, surveys of patients who have first worn dentures and have subsequently chosen implant -supported teeth overwhelmingly report greater levels of comfort and performance than they experienced with removable dentures.