Missing Tooth Treatment in Melbourne

A missing tooth can be replaced, and you have a few clear options depending on your situation: a dental implant, a dental bridge or a denture. Whether you're dealing with a single gap or several missing teeth, each can be treated, and the right approach comes down to the health of the teeth and bone around the gap. If you'd like to know which suits you, book an appointment at our Melbourne CBD clinic.

Leaving a gap rarely stays a cosmetic issue for long. The teeth on either side can drift into the space over time, which changes how your bite meets and makes the area harder to keep clean. The jawbone under the gap also tends to lose density once it's no longer supporting a tooth root, and over years that bone loss can affect the surrounding teeth and over years that bone loss can affect the surrounding teeth and the structure of the jaw. Chewing and speech can be affected too, depending on where the gap sits. Teeth are lost for all sorts of reasons, from decay and gum disease through to a sports injury, and acting sooner usually keeps your options simpler.

Best suited to people replacing one or more teeth who want a a standalone replacement that doesn't rely on the teeth around it. Read our dental implants page. An implant is a titanium post placed into the jaw, where it takes the place of a natural tooth root and is fitted with a crown once it has healed. Because it integrates with the bone, an implant can also anchor a bridge or implant supported dentures where several teeth are missing. The trade-off is time and surgery. Placing the post is a surgical procedure carried out under local anaesthetic, and the bone usually needs a few months to heal before the final restoration is fitted. Implants, like any surgical procedure, carry risks such as infection, nerve issues, sinus complications and the implant not integrating with the bone. Your dentist will go through these with you in detail at your appointment.

A dental bridge tends to suit people who have healthy teeth on both sides of the gap, or where a neighbouring tooth already needs a crown for other reasons. The bridge is a false tooth held in place by crowns fitted over the adjacent teeth, so it fills the gap without surgery and usually over a shorter timeframe than an implant. See our dental bridges page. The catch is that it relies on those supporting teeth, and preparing them means removing some healthy enamel. A temporary bridge is sometimes worn while the final one is made.

Best suited to people replacing several teeth or a full arch, or anyone who wants a removable, lower-cost way to fill the gap. A denture is a custom-made plate that sits over the gums with false teeth set into it. Partial dentures clip around your remaining teeth, while a full denture replaces an entire arch. Dentures don't involve surgery and are usually the most affordable option upfront. The trade-off is that they're removable and rest on the gums rather than being fixed in place, so they can need adjusting over time as the mouth changes, and some people take a while to get used to eating with them.

Our Melbourne CBD dental clinic at 121 Exhibition Street is within a:

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