Implant, bridge, or partial denture: what are my options?
The short answer
The main options to replace a missing tooth are an implant, a bridge, a partial denture, or leaving the space. Each one works. They differ in cost, time, how they treat the neighboring teeth, and how they feel. The best choice depends on your mouth, your budget, and what matters most to you.
Your options
- Implant. A post in the bone with a crown on top. Doesn't involve the neighboring teeth. The most time and usually the highest cost. Needs enough bone and good gum health.
- Bridge (also called a fixed partial denture). A false tooth held by crowns on the teeth on either side. Faster than an implant, with no surgery. The trade-off: those neighboring teeth are filed down for crowns, and cleaning under the bridge takes a special floss or tool. It's a better fit when the neighboring teeth already need crowns.
- Bonded bridge (often called a Maryland bridge). A false tooth attached with small wings glued to the backs of the neighboring teeth, with little or no filing. Used mostly for a single front tooth, including for teens who are waiting to be old enough for an implant. Its most common problem is coming loose: in research, about 1 in 5 did within five years. It can often be glued back on.
- Partial denture. A removable appliance with false teeth that clips onto your remaining teeth. Usually the lowest cost, and it can replace several teeth at once. It comes out to clean, takes some getting used to, and can put extra stress on the teeth it clips to.
- A temporary option while you heal or decide, such as a small removable tooth often called a “flipper.”
- Leaving the space. Lowest cost now. Reasonable for some back teeth. See What happens if I don't replace it?
Side by side
Survival figures come from large research reviews. Your own results depend on your mouth, your health, and how well the area is cared for.
About bridges
The teeth on either side get crowns to hold the bridge. When those teeth are healthy, they typically don't need a buildup. If a bridge anchor tooth gets a cavity or needs a root canal later, the whole bridge may need to be redone. Long bridges replacing several teeth in a row are less predictable. See Crowns.
Insurance may pay for a different option
Some plans pay for an implant or bridge as if you'd chosen a partial denture, and you pay the difference. See Why did insurance only pay for a cheaper treatment? That's a payment rule, not a judgment about which option is right for you.
Questions to ask
- Which options would work for this spot, and which do you recommend?
- Do the teeth next to the gap need crowns anyway?
- How long would each option take?
- What would each option cost me, after insurance?
- What does each option need from me to last?
- Before we schedule, can I get my cost in writing? (A predetermination if I'm using insurance, or a good faith estimate if I'm paying myself.)
When a second opinion makes sense
Reasonable if only one option was offered and you'd like to understand the others, or if a bridge would mean crowning healthy teeth and you'd like another view.
Related questions
Sources (5)
- ADA MouthHealthy: Bridges
- Clinical Oral Implants Research (2007): Survival of bridges, implant crowns, and implant bridges, a systematic review
- Clinical Oral Implants Research (2008): Survival of resin-bonded (Maryland) bridges, a systematic review
- American Academy of Periodontology: Dental implants (patient brochure)
- ADA: Least expensive alternative treatment clause