Before you decide
Ask your clinician to compare the suitable options for your own mouth, including daily care, effects on other teeth, treatment stages and total costs.
An implant replaces the support below the tooth
A dental implant is placed in the jawbone and can support a crown, bridge or denture. The implant and the replacement teeth are therefore different parts of the solution. An implant-supported restoration may replace one tooth or several, depending on the plan.
Because implant placement involves surgery, ask about the preparation, healing and risks that apply to you. Also ask whether the proposed teeth are fixed or removable: the word ‘implant’ alone does not answer that question.
A bridge can use neighbouring teeth for support
A tooth-supported bridge fills a gap and is fixed in place. The design may involve preparing neighbouring teeth for crowns or bonding a bridge to suitable tooth surfaces. These are different approaches, so ask which type is being proposed and what it would mean for the supporting teeth.
Useful questions include whether the neighbouring teeth already need restorations, how the bridge would be cleaned and what happens if a supporting tooth develops a problem. An explanation should address the whole bridge, not just the appearance of the tooth in the gap.
Source: NHS: dental treatments · Cambridge University Hospitals: bone grafting for dental implants
A denture can replace some or all missing teeth
Partial dentures replace some teeth; complete dentures replace all the teeth in an upper or lower arch. They sit over the gums and some types clip to remaining teeth. Dentures are removable, and getting used to them can take time. Fit may change, so reviews and adjustments remain important.
An implant-retained denture is another possible arrangement: implants help retain a denture that is removed for cleaning. Ask how it would be taken out, how the attachments are maintained and whether it is appropriate in your case.
Source: NHS: dentures · Guy’s and St Thomas’: dental implants overview
Make the comparison personal
Use the same questions for each option that your clinician considers suitable. If you already have a written proposal, take it to your appointment. Ask for any differences between plans to be explained in ordinary language.
It may also be reasonable to ask whether a space can be accepted without replacing the tooth. That decision depends on your mouth and function; it should be discussed rather than inferred from a general article.
- Which suitable options are fixed, and which are removable?
- What would each option mean for my remaining teeth?
- Can I manage the daily cleaning and handling involved?
- What happens during the period before the final teeth are fitted?
- What are the initial and ongoing costs, and what could need repair?
- What are the consequences of waiting or leaving the gap?
Source: Cambridge University Hospitals: bone grafting for dental implants
Sources and further reading
This editorial guide draws on the patient information below. It is general information; your own recommendations, risks and aftercare follow an individual assessment.
