Three common ways to replace a missing tooth — implants, bridges and dentures. Here’s how each works, who it suits, and what it costs.
Missing one or more teeth affects more than your smile — it changes how you chew, how your bite sits, and over time, the shape of your jaw. When you start researching how to replace a missing tooth, three options usually come up: dental implants, bridges and dentures. Each works differently, suits different situations, and comes with a different price tag.
This guide walks through how each option works, who it suits, and what it costs, so you can have an informed conversation at your consultation rather than starting from scratch.
| Dental Implant | Dental Bridge | Denture | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it’s held in place | Fused to the jawbone | Anchored to adjacent teeth | Rests on the gum, or clips onto implants |
| Replaces the tooth root? | Yes | No | No |
| Affects neighbouring teeth? | No | Yes — teeth either side are shaved down | No, unless implant-retained |
| Typical lifespan | 15+ years | 10–15 years | 5–10 years |
| Bone preservation | Yes — stimulates the jawbone | No | No |
| Relative cost | Highest upfront, but longest-lasting | Mid-range | Lowest upfront |
A dental implant is a titanium post placed into the jawbone to act as an artificial tooth root, topped with a custom crown, bridge, or denture. Because it fuses with the bone through a process called osseointegration, it’s the only option of the three that replaces the root as well as the visible tooth — which is why implants help preserve jawbone density over time, rather than letting it shrink the way it does under a denture or gap.
At The Smile Designer, single tooth implants start from $5,000, with full arch options such as All-on-4 starting from $28,000 per arch. You can read the complete implant options, procedure and pricing breakdown on our main dental implants page.
A traditional bridge replaces one or more missing teeth by anchoring a false tooth (or teeth) to the natural teeth on either side of the gap. Those supporting teeth are shaved down to hold crowns, which are then fused to the replacement tooth in the middle, creating one connected unit that “bridges” the gap.
If you’re missing several teeth in a row rather than just one or two, an implant-supported bridge may be a better long-term option than a traditional tooth-supported bridge, since it doesn’t rely on your remaining natural teeth at all.
Dentures are removable prosthetics that replace some (partial denture) or all (full denture) of the teeth in an arch. They rest on the gums and are held in place with suction, adhesive, or in the case of an implant-retained overdenture, by clipping onto a small number of implants.
An implant-retained overdenture bridges the gap between a conventional denture and a fully fixed implant bridge — offering more stability than a denture alone, while remaining removable for cleaning.
There’s no single right answer — it comes down to how many teeth you’re replacing, your bone health, your budget, and how you weigh a fixed solution against a removable one.
The only way to know for certain is a consultation, where we’ll assess your bone density, gum health and bite before recommending an option — and give you a transparent, itemised quote before any treatment begins.
The Smile Designer offers single tooth implants, implant-supported bridges, full arch solutions and implant-retained overdentures for patients across Preston, Reservoir, Bundoora, Coburg, Heidelberg and Melbourne’s wider inner north. Book a consultation to find out which option suits your missing tooth, or teeth.