Dental implants are considered today’s gold standard for tooth replacement. You own bone can solidly attach to them and they can’t have tooth decay. Therefore, they last longer than any other tooth-replacement option. Implants also help preserve tooth-supporting bone that deteriorates when a tooth is lost. The surgical procedure used to place an implant is topped with a lifelike crown custom-made to match your existing natural teeth. Implants have a documented success rate of over 95%, which is significantly higher than other tooth-replacement options.

Dental bridgework has been used to replace missing teeth for almost a century. A three-unit fixed bridge requires filing down and placing dental crowns on two teeth-one on either side of a gap left by a missing tooth-and then using those now compromised teeth to support a third crown in between. A three-unit fixed bridge will cost less initially than a dental implant, and there is no healing period. But a major downside is the need to grind down of healthy teeth that would otherwise not need dental work. This can weaken those teeth and make them more susceptible to decay and gum disease. Therefore, bridgework often needs replacement eventually.