Non-Implant Tooth Replacement Options

Compared to a dental bridge or a removable partial or full denture, dental implants have several advantages: improved appearance, preservation of natural teeth, stability, longevity, and comfort. Although dental implants are a superior choice for tooth replacement, there are other options:

A removable partial denture fills in the missing teeth by resting on the gums while being held in place with metal prongs that clip onto the neighboring teeth. Cosmetic results are disappointing if the metal prongs are visible. A full denture replaces all the teeth in one arch. Dentures look pretty good, but can be bulky and distort speech. The denture fit tends to worsen as time goes by because the bone under the gums naturally resorbs (dissolves).

Removable partial dentures and full dentures.

A bridge is made by grinding down and placing crowns on neighboring teeth and suspending one or two false teeth in between. A bridge will last an average of 7-15 years before failing, often due to decay under one of the crowns. When a bridge eventually does fail, one or both supporting teeth may need to be extracted.

A conventional bridge is made by grinding down adjacent teeth into a prep onto which caps are cemented.

Each of these other tooth replacement options pose hazard to adjacent teeth or the underlying bone structure. None of them offer the health, longevity, success or satisfaction of dental implant treatment.