Alternative options to having a dental implant
Partial denture
These are an economical and rapid solution, but most people tend not to like dentures as they often feel bulky and uncomfortable.
They are frequently loose, causing difficulty and embarrassment when eating and they must be removed at night. They can increase the loss of your jawbone over time and may damage your remaining teeth that they clip onto.
Adhesive bridge
These can be a good solution in some cases, but they tend to debond and fall out over time. In addition, you need a healthy tooth next to the gap that the adhesive bridge can be bonded to.
Fixed bridge
Although this is a fixed way of replacing missing teeth, it involves filing down the adjacent teeth to do so and this can damage them, often requiring them to be root-filled after a few years.
The consequence of doing nothing
Apart from the obvious cosmetic issue of having a gap, failing to replace lost teeth places your remaining teeth under increasing pressure from chewing. In addition, the teeth adjacent to the gap can tilt or drift into the space, making your bite less even.
