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Aesthetic Edge Dental 559Dentist.com · Fresno, CA
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Replacing Missing Teeth

Options for Replacing One Tooth or a Full Arch

Missing teeth affect chewing, speech, the position of neighboring teeth, and over time the bone that used to support them. There is rarely one right answer — the choice depends on how many teeth are gone, the bone available, your health history, and your budget.
The options

Dental Implants

An implant is a titanium post placed in the jawbone that acts as an artificial tooth root, later restored with a crown. It does not rely on neighboring teeth for support and helps maintain bone at the site. Treatment happens in stages over several months while the implant integrates.

Bone Grafting and Site Preparation

If bone has already been lost at the site, grafting may be needed before an implant can be placed. Whether you need it, and how long healing takes, is determined by imaging and examination.

Fixed Bridges

A bridge fills a gap by anchoring to the adjacent teeth. It is completed in weeks rather than months and does not require surgery, but it does involve preparing the neighboring teeth.

Full Dentures

A full denture replaces all teeth in an arch. Fit and comfort improve over an adjustment period, and periodic relines keep the fit accurate as the ridge changes shape.

Partial Dentures

A partial replaces several missing teeth in an arch while your remaining natural teeth stay in place. It is removable and generally the most affordable way to restore multiple teeth at once.

Implant-Supported Options

Implants can also be used to stabilize a denture, which reduces movement while eating and speaking. Candidacy depends on bone volume and overall health, and complex cases may involve a surgical specialist.

Deciding

How the decision is actually made

A planning visit includes an examination, X-rays, a review of your medical history and medications, and a discussion of what each option costs and how long it takes. You leave with a written plan rather than a verbal quote.

A note on advertised pricing

Denture and implant pricing varies widely with materials, the number of teeth involved, and whether preparatory work is needed. We will not quote a figure before an examination — any number given sight-unseen is not a real estimate.

Common Questions

Commonly several months, because the implant needs time to integrate with bone before the final crown is placed. Grafting, if needed, adds to that timeline.
Clinically reviewed by Mankirat Gill, DDS·Last reviewed July 2026

This page is provided for general educational purposes and does not replace an in-person dental examination or personalized advice.

Related: Restorative Dentistry Gum & Periodontal Health Insurance & Premier Club

Ready to Talk Through Your Options?

A planning visit gives you a written comparison of what is realistic for your mouth and your budget.

Book an Appointment

How much do you want to know?

Same subject, three depths — about implants, our most-asked replacement. Pick what suits you today.

An implant replaces a missing tooth with a small titanium post that acts as a root, topped with a crown that looks and works like a natural tooth. It does not touch the neighbouring teeth. Whether it fits your situation takes one exam and an X-ray.

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What we know / what requires an exam

A page can educate you about replacing a missing tooth — it cannot examine you. Here is the honest line between the two.

We can explain online
What implants, bridges, and partial dentures are
The general stages and why healing time exists
How each option is cleaned and maintained
The honest trade-offs between the options
What tends to drive cost up or down
We need to examine you to determine
Whether you are a candidate — bone volume and health history
Whether grafting would be needed
How many implants, and where
Your actual cost and timeline
Individual prognosis — what the X-ray rules in or out