Bridge
Where the gap is small, a bridge is usually used. Larger gaps and free-end situations – where the molars are missing, for example – are restored and closed with dentures.
Video library: alternative solutions without implants
Films on the subject of alternatives to implants.
Besides implants, the classic ways of securing new teeth in the jaw are fixed prosthetics (a bridge), removable prosthetics (a partial or full denture), or a combination of the two.
Without an implant
The classic alternatives
Partial denture
A larger gap can be closed with a partial denture. The new teeth are attached to the remaining ones by clasps. This is an inexpensive option, but it does not deliver demanding aesthetics.
Full denture
A full denture gives edentulous patients a complete set of teeth again. Here the new teeth are carried by a gum-coloured acrylic base. In the upper jaw this covers the whole palate, which can impair the sense of taste. The denture is held in place by suction.
Answered briefly
Frequently asked questions
Three: a bridge as a fixed restoration, a partial or full denture as a removable one, or a combination of the two.
Small gaps are usually restored with a bridge. Larger gaps and free-end situations, for instance where the back teeth are missing, are closed with a denture.
In the upper jaw it covers the whole palate, which can impair the sense of taste. It is held by suction, not by firm anchorage.