Missing teeth can be a serious health hazard, in addition to being incredibly uncomfortable. They can cause difficulty with eating, speaking, breathing, and general comfort when resting. It is therefore a good idea to seek out a solution as soon as possible. However, there are actually several ways that you can replace your teeth, so it's important to understand what differentiates each option from the others. Here is an overview of implants, dentures, and bridges to help you come to a more informed conclusion:

Dental Implants

The most permanent and expensive option is to get dental implants. While you can expect to pay $2500 per tooth, you can trust that your implant will last the rest of your life. On top of that, implants are very comfortable, and you won't even notice that you have an implant after your body has had a couple of months to acclimate. Implants are installed in three stages:

1. First, the site is cleared and the implant is installed. The implant is like a small screw that will attach to your gum or jawbone and form the foundation.

2. Several weeks later, after your gums have healed from the first surgery, the abutment will be added on top of the implant. The abutment connects the strong implant to the smooth and functional crown.

3. Again, after several weeks of healing, the next layer will be added, which is a crown. The crown is used just like a normal tooth, and once that is in place, your implant should be ready to go.

Dentures

At the other end of the spectrum, you have dentures, which tend to be a lot cheaper than implants. A set of dentures can cost between $500 and $1000, which means that replacing every single tooth in your mouth with dentures can cost less than replacing a single tooth with an implant. In other words, if you are on a budget, dentures are the best option.

Dentures do have drawbacks though, with the biggest problem being that they tend to be uncomfortable. Wearing dentures requires that you take them out and put them back in from time to time, which means that you will never have time to fully get used to them. You will always be aware of their presence, which can be very frustrating to some.

Dental Bridges

Finally, dental bridges are an interesting option that tends to cost somewhere between implants and dentures. To replace one tooth with a bridge, expect to pay $1100 to $2300, but to replace two teeth, expect to pay between $1700 and $3500.

Bridges also work very uniquely, since they actually anchor the replacement tooth to the healthy teeth on either side of the gap. This means that you need teeth on either side of the gap and that the gap needs to be no more than two teeth long. There is one type of bridge that allows you to anchor the replacement to a single flanking tooth, but that type is becoming much less common as time goes on, so your dentist might not even offer the option.

For additional information, contact a dentist in your area.