A missing tooth can feel like a problem that’s over once the gap has healed. Here’s what changes in your mouth if it’s left, and the options for replacing it.
Once a tooth is gone and the gum has healed, the problem can feel finished. Nothing hurts, you’ve learned to chew around the gap, and if it’s toward the back, nobody can see it. Replacing it drops down the list behind work, family and everything else that costs money.
The trouble is that a gap doesn’t stay a tidy gap. The rest of your mouth slowly adjusts around it, and those changes make the gap harder to deal with the longer it’s left. Here’s what happens, and what your options are.
For most teeth, yes. Wisdom teeth are the usual exception. A gap allows the neighbouring teeth to drift and the opposing tooth to move, which changes your bite over time. It’s a slow process and you won’t feel it happening, which is exactly why it’s easy to put off.
None of this happens in a week or a month. But each of these changes can narrow your options and make the eventual repair more involved. Filling the space early prevents that drift.
There’s more than one way to replace a tooth, and neither of the main options is universally better. Which one suits you depends on the condition of the neighbouring teeth, the health of your gums and the supporting bone, and cost.
A bridge replaces a missing tooth by anchoring a replacement to the teeth on either side. It’s fixed in place, not removable, and the replacement tooth is shade-matched to your surrounding teeth. A bridge is quicker than an implant and doesn’t require surgery or a healing period.
The trade-off is that the supporting teeth are prepared to take crowns, so they need to be sound enough to carry the bridge. If they aren’t, another option may be better, and we’ll say so.
An implant replaces a missing tooth in two stages: a post that integrates with the jawbone, and a crown that sits on top of it. Its main advantage over a bridge is that the neighbouring teeth are left alone, and you brush and floss around it much as you would a natural tooth.
It takes longer than most dental treatment, because the implant needs time to integrate with the bone before the crown is attached. The surgical placement of the post is often carried out by an oral surgeon or periodontist; where that’s the better route for your case, Dr. Gifford will refer you and coordinate the treatment. The crown that completes the tooth is the implant restoration stage.
Depending on the situation, a removable partial denture can also be an option. Each choice has trade-offs in cost, longevity and how much work is done to the neighbouring teeth, and Dr. Gifford will go through what applies to your case.
The best time to think about replacement is before the tooth comes out. We discuss replacement options ahead of an extraction, so you can plan ahead instead of deciding later with a gap already in place.
It’s still worth having it looked at. We can see how the neighbouring teeth, gums and bone have responded, and tell you plainly which options are open to you now. There’s no lecture about how long it has been.
If cost is the reason the gap has waited, you’ll know where you stand before anything is scheduled: after an exam, we explain what’s recommended and what it will cost. We accept most PPO insurance plans, and there are payment and financing options available. And if nerves are part of the picture, sedation options are available too.
Call Flossed Family Dentistry at (480) 581-7681 or request an appointment to talk through your options. Gaps rarely stay simple if they’re left alone, and the conversation is easier the earlier it happens.
This article is general information, not a diagnosis or a treatment recommendation. Every mouth is different, so please talk to your dentist about your own situation.
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