Dental Implants and Bridges for Missing Teeth.

Implants are a well-established, tried-and-tested treatment. 90 per cent of modern implants last for at least 15 years.

It depends on the state of the bone in your jaw. Your dentist will arrange for a number of special tests to assess the amount of bone still there. If there is not enough, or if it isn’t healthy enough, it may not be possible to place implants without grafting bone into the area first.

Placing the implants requires a small operation which is carried out under local anaesthetics. You will not feel any pain at the time, but you may feel some discomfort during the week following the surgery.

A dental bridge replaces a missing tooth or teeth by using the teeth either side of the gap as anchors. Patients lose teeth for a variety of reasons including decay, gum disease and trauma, for example being hit in the mouth while playing sport. 

Bridges are not the first choice if the teeth either side of the gap are completely healthy, as is usually the case after trauma. As dentists, we are always reluctant to remove enamel from healthy teeth, simply to fit a bridge. The main alternatives are implants or dentures.

It depends on how well you look after them and also on the type of bridge: the generally quoted average is 10 years.