Single Missing Tooth

If you are missing one single tooth, one implant and a crown can replace it. A dental implant replaces both the lost natural tooth and its root.

When a single tooth is missing, the two most common treatment options are the traditional tooth supported bridge and an implant supported crown. When a traditional bridge is used for replacing a missing tooth, the adjacent teeth must be cut down into peg shapes in order to fit the cemented bridge in place. Although this method of tooth replacement can be very aesthetic and functional for a period of time, a tooth supported bridge does not replace the bone that previously surrounded the root. Since there is no longer a root to hold the bone in place, the bone deteriorates, or melts away.

There are many advantages to replacing a single missing tooth with an implant:

- looks, feels and functions like a natural tooth
- much more aesthetic long term
- not decay
- no need to grind down the adjacent natural teeth
- The bone is preserved, preventing a visible bony defect
- more hygienic than a tooth supported bridge

In a long term, a single implant can be more aesthetic and easier to keep clean than a bridge. Gums can recede around a bridge, leaving a visible defect when the metal base or collar of the bridge becomes exposed. Resorbed bone beneath the bridge can lead to an unattractive smile. And, the cement holding the bridge in place can wash out, which may cause bacteria to decay the teeth that anchor the bridge.