Implants and Bridges

When a patient is missing a tooth in a functioning area there are usually a couple of options available to replace the  missing tooth.  

A dental implant is a way to replace the tooth in a missing area without requiring anything from adjacent teeth.  The implant is placed in the bone, just as the tooth root was at one time.  A crown can then be made to cement or screw into the implant. Implants can also be used when a bridge is needed and more than 1 or 2 teeth are missing.  If full dentures are indicated, implants usually can be placed in order to help retain the denture (see our section under dentures).  

A bridge may be another option to replace missing teeth.  If the adjacent teeth are determined to be strong enough, they can anchor a bridge by cement that is similar to a single crown.  The bridge can be made from porcelain, a combination of porcelain and metal, or full metal (gold).