09/01/2026
A gap in the front is the one people notice. The one in the back is the one that quietly causes problems.
When a tooth is missing, the teeth around it start to drift and the bone underneath begins to shrink. A single implant replaces the root as well as the tooth, which keeps the neighbors where they belong and keeps the bone working.
The alternative, a bridge, means reshaping two healthy teeth to hold it. That is the tradeoff worth understanding before you decide.
Save this post. It is the comparison worth having in front of you when someone tells you a bridge is the only option.