Oral Health›Dental visits and treatments

Replacing Missing Teeth: Dentures, Bridges and Implants

A missing tooth can be replaced with a denture, a bridge or an implant, and sometimes it can be left. Here is how each option works, who it suits, how to look after it and what it may cost.

Updated September 2026·By the OHA editorial team·8 min read·How we write
Key takeaways
  • The main options are a removable denture, a bridge fixed to the teeth either side of the gap, or an implant fixed into the jawbone. Sometimes leaving a gap is reasonable.
  • Gaps can let neighbouring teeth drift or tilt, and losing several teeth can make eating and speaking harder.
  • In England, NHS dentures and bridges are Band 3 treatments. Implants are usually private, and only rarely available on the NHS.
  • Implants need enough healthy bone. Smoking, gum disease and poorly controlled diabetes raise the risk of problems.
  • Whatever you choose, clean around it every day and keep having check-ups.

Teeth can be lost through gum disease, tooth decay or injury, as the American Dental Association notes. The Australian Dental Association says each replacement option has benefits worth discussing with your dentist.

Why replace a missing tooth?

The NHS says missing teeth can make eating or speaking difficult, and some people feel self-conscious about a gap. It adds that losing teeth makes chewing harder, which can affect your diet, and may cause the facial muscles to sag.

Gaps also affect the teeth around them. healthdirect Australia says filling a gap stops the other teeth leaning into it, which helps the bite. The Oral Health Foundation adds that food can get trapped in a gap, raising the risk of decay and gum disease.

Is it all right to leave a gap?

Sometimes. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust says that if you are happy with how your teeth look, and the gap does not affect eating or socialising, you may choose to leave it. It notes a small risk that neighbouring teeth drift into the space, which can make a bridge harder to fit later. The Oral Health Foundation puts more weight on the risks, saying a gap can cause problems over time. Your dentist can advise on your particular gap.

Dentures

Our full guide to dentures covers types, getting used to them and daily care.

A denture is a removable set of false teeth. The NHS describes complete (full) dentures, which replace all the upper or lower teeth, and partial dentures, which replace one or more teeth and, healthdirect says, are usually held in place by metal clasps. Implant-retained dentures clip onto implants but can still be taken out (healthdirect, Australian Dental Association).

Dentures are usually plastic (acrylic), or plastic on a thin metal frame of cobalt chrome (healthdirect, Australian Dental Association). The Oral Health Foundation says metal dentures are smaller and lighter, but need strong natural teeth to support them and usually cost more.

How they are made. Your dentist takes a mould or scan of your mouth and fits the dentures a few weeks later (NHS). In Australia, a dental prosthetist, who makes and fits dentures, can also do this (healthdirect, Australian Dental Association). If teeth are being taken out, immediate dentures can be fitted on the day of the extraction (healthdirect, Australian Dental Association). The NHS says these often need adjusting or replacing within about a year, as the mouth changes shape while it heals.

Pros and cons. The Australian Dental Association describes dentures as a cost-effective option. healthdirect says most people need a few months to get used to them, and new dentures can feel loose, cause soreness or make more saliva at first. The NHS says dentures can last for years with good care, but may loosen as the gums and jawbone change shape; the Oral Health Foundation says they often need replacing every five to eight years.

Care. Clean dentures morning and night, never with toothpaste, and do not sleep in them unless your dentist advises it (NHS, Australian Dental Association, healthdirect). Our guide to oral health in older age covers denture care in detail.

Bridges

A bridge is a fixed replacement for one or more missing teeth, attached to the teeth either side of the gap. You cannot take it out (NHS, healthdirect). There are two common types:

  • Conventional bridge. The teeth either side of the gap are filed down and crowned, and the crowns are joined to a false tooth in between (healthdirect, Australian Dental Association).
  • Adhesive (resin-bonded) bridge. A false tooth is attached to a small metal wing bonded to the back of a neighbouring tooth. It needs little or no drilling and is often used for front teeth (Oral Health Foundation, Leeds Teaching Hospitals).

Bridges can also be supported by implants (healthdirect, American Dental Association).

Who is suitable. You need healthy teeth either side of the gap (healthdirect) and good support from the bone and gums (Oral Health Foundation). After an extraction, the Oral Health Foundation says the gums usually need around 6 months to heal before a bridge is fitted.

Pros and cons. A bridge is fixed, but relies on the neighbouring teeth. Leeds Teaching Hospitals says that with a conventional bridge, the nerve of a supporting tooth is permanently damaged in up to 10 to 15% of cases and may need root canal treatment. It says about 80% of conventional bridges last 10 years or more, and about 80% of adhesive bridges last 5 years or more; with adhesive bridges, the most common problem is the cement failing so the bridge comes off. healthdirect says bridges usually fail through decay in the teeth next to them, or cement failure.

Care. Floss cannot pass between the joined crowns, so clean under the false tooth with superfloss, floss threaders or interdental brushes (healthdirect, Australian Dental Association). See cleaning between your teeth.

Dental implants

A dental implant is a small titanium screw placed in the jawbone to replace the root of a missing tooth. It can support a crown (a single false tooth), a bridge or a denture (NHS, healthdirect). The bone grows around the implant and holds it in place, a process the American Dental Association calls osseointegration.

Treatment is done in stages, and sources give different healing times before the new tooth is fitted: about 3 months (healthdirect), or 2 to 6 months in most cases (Leeds Teaching Hospitals). The American Dental Association says some people can have the implant and replacement tooth fitted in one visit. If there is not enough bone, a bone graft may be needed first (Leeds Teaching Hospitals).

Pros. Implants do not involve cutting down neighbouring teeth, and can make a removable denture much more stable (Leeds Teaching Hospitals, healthdirect). Leeds Teaching Hospitals says about 90% of implants are still in place and working 10 years after they were placed.

Who is suitable. Implants are not right for everyone. healthdirect says your dentist will check you have enough bone and healthy gums, and asks you to tell your doctor if you are over 60, smoke, or have diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer, a bleeding disorder or gum disease. The American Dental Association says general health matters more than age. Leeds Teaching Hospitals says implants are usually only placed once you have stopped growing, and involve several appointments and at least one surgical procedure.

Risks. healthdirect lists infection, nerve damage, sinus problems and damage to nearby teeth. Leeds Teaching Hospitals says that over time, inflamed gums around an implant (peri-mucositis) and bone loss around it (peri-implantitis) can cause it to fail, more often in people who smoke, clean poorly, have had gum disease or radiotherapy to the jaws, have poorly controlled diabetes, or take certain medicines such as bisphosphonates.

Care. Brush twice a day, clean between the implant and your other teeth, and have regular check-ups (healthdirect).

What does each option cost?

England. Most adults pay NHS charges, which are grouped into three bands. The NHS lists dentures and bridges under Band 3, and says denture repairs are free, although replacements are charged. The NHS says implants are usually only available privately and are expensive. Leeds Teaching Hospitals lists NHS priority groups as people treated for mouth cancer, people born with missing or severely malformed teeth, and people who have had facial or dental trauma.

Australia. healthdirect says implants can be expensive, advises getting a quote first, and suggests checking whether private health insurance covers part of the cost.

When to see a dentist
  • Your denture is loose, clicks when you talk, slips, or causes pain (NHS).
  • Your mouth is sore, bleeding or swollen, or you have ulcers, under a denture (healthdirect).
  • The gum around an implant is swollen or inflamed (healthdirect).
  • A bridge feels loose or has come off. Leeds Teaching Hospitals says an adhesive bridge that comes off can usually be re-stuck.
Get help urgently
  • If an adult tooth has just been knocked out, act quickly. The NHS says it needs treatment as soon as possible, within 30 minutes to 1 hour if possible. Call your dental practice or NHS 111 (or your local equivalent). See dental emergencies for what to do with the tooth.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get dental implants on the NHS?

Only rarely. The NHS says implants are usually private, but are sometimes available on the NHS for people who cannot wear dentures for reasons such as mouth cancer or an accident.

Will a bridge damage my other teeth?

A conventional bridge means filing down the teeth either side of the gap, which can damage their nerves (Leeds Teaching Hospitals). An adhesive bridge needs little or no drilling, but comes off more often.

How long do dentures last?

The NHS says dentures can last for years if you look after them, and the Oral Health Foundation says they often need replacing every five to eight years.

Do I still need check-ups with dentures?

Yes. healthdirect advises seeing your dentist or dental prosthetist at least yearly to check your dentures still fit.

Sources

  1. Dentures (false teeth), NHS, accessed September 2026
  2. Dental treatments, NHS, accessed September 2026
  3. How much NHS dental treatment costs, NHS, accessed September 2026
  4. Bridges, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, accessed September 2026
  5. Dental implants, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, accessed September 2026
  6. Dental bridge, Oral Health Foundation, accessed September 2026
  7. Dentures, Oral Health Foundation, accessed September 2026
  8. Dentures, healthdirect Australia, accessed September 2026
  9. Dental bridge, healthdirect Australia, accessed September 2026
  10. Dental implant, healthdirect Australia, accessed September 2026
  11. Dentures, Australian Dental Association, accessed September 2026
  12. Crowns, bridges and veneers, Australian Dental Association, accessed September 2026
  13. Dentures, American Dental Association (MouthHealthy), accessed September 2026
  14. Bridges, American Dental Association (MouthHealthy), accessed September 2026
  15. Implants, American Dental Association (MouthHealthy), accessed September 2026

This article is general information about oral health. It is not a diagnosis or a substitute for advice from a dentist or doctor who knows your situation. If you have pain, swelling, bleeding that does not settle, or a problem that is getting worse, see a dental professional. In an emergency, contact your local emergency service.

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