Single Missing Tooth

Implant or bridge?
A tooth-supported bridge requires the teeth on both sides to be ground down to carry it.
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An implant does not. It also replaces the root, so the bone that used to surround the tooth is loaded and maintained rather than left to resorb.
What goes wrong with bridges over time
Gums recede around a bridge, and once the metal base or collar shows, the defect is visible.
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Bone under the pontic resorbs, leaving a gap. And the cement can wash out, letting bacteria decay the anchor teeth underneath where nobody can see it.
How the implant is placed
The implant — which looks like a small screw — is placed into the jaw.
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Over the following two to six months the bone bonds to it, and you wear a temporary tooth over the site. A small connector called an abutment is then attached, the gum heals for a couple of weeks, and finally the crown is fitted.
One stage or two
Some implant systems have the abutment already attached and skip the second step entirely.
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Which system suits you depends on the site, the bone and the aesthetics — we will explain the choice at the planning appointment rather than after the fact.