What Wins? The Best Option to Replace Missing Teeth
When you lose a tooth, you only have three options: dental implants, dental bridges, and dentures. But only one replaces the root.
All three can fill a gap confidently, improve your smile aesthetics, and restore some aspect of function. Bridges can provide fixed teeth without surgery, while dentures offer the lowest-cost removable option.
But dental implants work differently.
A dental implant is the only option that replaces the missing tooth root within the jaw, providing the closest replica of a whole natural tooth rather than simply filling the gap.
At The Smiles Studio in Chandler’s Ford & Lymington, we would generally explore an implant first. Dental implants cost from £2,500, including the implant and crown, with a £50 consultation and finance from £54.21 per month.
Compare implants, bridges and dentures at a glance
| Feature | Dental Implant | Dental Bridge | Denture |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed or removable? | Fixed (anchored) | Fixed (cemented) | Removable |
| Replaces the tooth root? | Yes | No | No |
| Supported by other teeth? | No | Yes | Yes (partial dentures) |
| Jawbone support | Helps maintain bone | Does not support the jawbone | Does not support the jawbone |
| Movement | Fixed securely | Fixed securely | Can move, lift or rock |
| Biting force / chewing power | Restores natural biting power up to around 90–100% | Restores about 70% to 90% of your natural chewing and biting strength | About 20% to 25% of the biting strength of natural teeth |
| Eating | Strongest and closest to natural teeth | Good | Can feel less stable with harder foods |
| Cleaning | Clean around it like a tooth | Requires cleaning underneath | Removed for cleaning |
| Treatment time | 1 day placement, 3 months healing | 2-4 weeks | 4-8 weeks |
| Surgery required? | Yes | No | No |
| Cost | From £2,500 | Depends on bridge design | From £450 partial / £900 full acrylic |
| Durability | Up to 30 years | 5-15 years | Up to 10 years |
Which option is best for a missing tooth?
For patients who are medically and dentally suitable, have sufficient jawbone (or can have it rebuilt), and want a fixed, long-term solution, we would generally explore a dental implant first.
Why?
Because dental implants replace more than just the visible portion of the tooth.
A titanium implant is placed in the jaw to replace the missing tooth root, with a custom crown fitted on top. This gives the replacement tooth its own support rather than relying on adjacent teeth, like bridges.
At The Smiles Studio, we particularly recommend considering implants if you:
- Want a fixed replacement rather than something removable
- Don’t want healthy adjacent teeth altered
- Want to restore one missing tooth independently
- Want stronger chewing stability
- Have several teeth missing
- Want a longer-term approach to replacing teeth
Dental implants at The Smiles Studio can replace a single tooth, several teeth, or an entire arch with implant bridges, implant-retained dentures, and All-on-4.
Dental implants: the closest replacement for a natural tooth
- They stay fixed
- They don’t rely on neighbouring teeth
- They replace the missing tooth root
- They can help maintain the jawbone
- They restore strong chewing function
- One treatment can replace anything from one tooth to a full mouth
- They take from 3 months from start to finish
- They cost from £2,500
Explore dental implants.
Dental bridges: fixed teeth without implant surgery
- Conventional bridges rely on one or more adjacent teeth for support
- One or both teeth beside the gap are shaped down and replaced with crowns
- They restore good function and chewing support
- Don’t require the same volume of jawbone needed for implant placement
- They avoid surgery and take a few weeks
- Typically only replace 1-3 missing teeth
- They typically cost from £300 to £4,000
Once healthy tooth structure has been removed to support a conventional bridge, it cannot be replaced. Explore implant-supported bridges instead. They replace multiple teeth in a row but use implants to anchor the prosthetic instead of otherwise healthy, natural teeth.
Dentures: the more affordable removable option
- Best for tooth replacement on a budget
- They avoid surgery and take around a month
- Avoid bone grafts but don’t support the bone
- Restore appearance and some function
- Require frequent replacement, relining or adjustments as gums and bone in the jaw change over time
- They rely on other teeth, suction, or adhesives for retention
Explore implant-retained dentures instead. They replace a full arch of missing teeth using dental implants as anchors in the jaw, reducing movement and significantly improving stability and function, unlike dentures that rely on suction or adhesives to stay in place.
Which option is cheapest?
If you compare only the initial price, not long-term, ongoing fees, traditional dentures are generally the cheapest of the three options.
But cheapest upfront and best value over the decades aren’t necessarily the same question.
Dental implants are typically worth the extra cost, because you’re paying for:
- A replacement tooth root
- A fixed restoration
- Independent support from the jaw
- No reliance on healthy adjacent teeth for a single implant
- Strong chewing stability
- Detailed surgical planning
- A solution designed for long-term use
At The Smiles Studio, a single implant and crown costs from £2,500 or £54.21 per month. That can make the difference between paying £2,500 today and the long-term costs of denture replacement.
Dentures might cost you less today, but they won’t replace the tooth root or last as long as a dental implant will, meaning you’ll face more long-term costs.
Why choose The Smiles Studio for dental implants?
If you decide that implants are the option you’d prefer, consider The Smiles Studio. Principal Dentist Dr Mahesh Nagpal has 36 years of implant experience and has placed more than 5,000 dental implants.
Patients at our Chandler’s Ford and Lymington implant clinics benefit from:
- £500 off dental implants
- £50 implant consultation with Dr Nagpal
- In-house 3D CBCT scanning
- Single, multiple and full-mouth implant treatment
- Bone grafts and sinus lifts where additional bone is needed
- 0% finance for 12 months
- Finance up to five years
- 500+ patient reviews
So, dental implant, bridge or denture?
- Choose dentures if affordability and avoiding surgery are your biggest priorities and you’re comfortable with removable teeth.
- Consider a bridge if you want a fixed replacement, don’t want implant surgery, and the supporting teeth are suitable.
- Explore a dental implant first if you want the closest replacement to your missing natural tooth, want something fixed, have healthy adjacent teeth and want a prosthetic that stands the test of time.
If you’re suitable for implants, compare them before committing to a bridge or removable denture. Book a consultation at any of our Hampshire clinics to learn which will work best for you.
