Why You Chose an Implant Over a Denture or Bridge

Last updated on March 28th, 2025 at 12:53 pm

Marcus Hines: Author

Dr. Julia L. Jackson: Medical Reviewer

Place yourself in a position of having to choose between a dental implant, a partial denture or bridgework. Of the three options, the dental implant is the most expensive. Written as a hypothetical, this article demonstrates how you, as the patient, made a wise decision to choose the dental implant, even though this is the most expensive option. I also use this hypothetical voice to demonstrate how you can make your dental implant treatment affordable. If you are missing at least one tooth, you’ll appreciate the ease by which this article will help you make the wise choice.

Your Dentist Gave You Three Options to Replace a Missing Tooth

So you go to the dentist and she tells you your tooth has reached the point of no return. The tooth has to come out or the pain will only get worse.

Your pain is already excruciating and so you respond, “Sure doc! Whatever it takes. Just get me out of pain.” Your dentist proceeds to extract your tooth, and at least for now you’re happy. Now what?

The doctor recommends making plans to replace your missing tooth immediately since putting it off will lead to more problems in the future. She said, “Essentially, you have three options for replacing this tooth.” She proceeded to describe each of the options as outlined below.

Technically, there is a forth option of doing nothing at all. This would be the absolute worse choice you can make, and potentially most catastrophic long-term.

And you appreciated the fact that she didn’t “sugar coat” your situation. Read on to find out why you decided to choose the dental implant.

Option #1: Removable Partial Denture

The first option the dentist shares with you is a removable partial denture. She outlined the pros and cons of the removable partial denture in a way that was similar to the following table:

Removable Partial Denture Pro and Cons

PROS	CONS
1. Replaces missing tooth	1. Looks the least natural esthetic
2. Consistent dental insurance coverage	2. Feels least natural
3. Least expensive of the three options – $1,500	3. Should be removed while sleeping
4. Short turnaround time – 2 weeks	4. Should be removed to clean
	5. Food becomes impacted around clasps (clamps) and under the prosthesis
	6. Dependent on neighboring teeth
	7. May weaken neighboring teeth over time
	8. Lifespan of only 5 to 10 years
	9. Will not stimulate the bone of the missing tooth

You like the fact that the removable partial denture option offers the most affordability and consistent insurance coverage. You also like that it won’t take long to complete treatment. It’s the disadvantages of this option that concern you.

Since this tooth is not in the front of your mouth you are not concerned how natural it looks. However, the thought of food easily becoming trapped between and around your partial denture is problematic.

You also don’t like the thought of having to remove your partial denture every night to soak it in a cleaning solution. Nor are you attracted to the thought of it feeling unnatural.

The potential that this option may weaken the neighboring teeth that it clips onto also concerns you. Your dentist agrees. It’s her least favorite of the three options.

Option #2: 3-Unit Fixed Bridge

Your dentist proceeds to share the second option for replacing your missing tooth — a fixed 3-unit bridge. She explains that it’s called a fixed bridge since — different from the removable partial denture — it’s permanently cemented in place. A fixed bridge can only be removed by a dentist.

She goes on to share the pros and cons of the 3-unit fixed bridge in a similar fashion as outlined in the following table:

3-Unit Fixed Bridge Pros and Cons

PROS	CONS
1. Replaces missing tooth	1. More expensive compared to removable partial denture – $4,000
2. Consistent dental insurance coverage	2. Required shaving down the two neighboring teeth
3. Short turnaround – 2 weeks	3. Dependent on neighboring teeth
4. Looks and feels more natural than removable partial denture	4. Food may become easily trapped around the bridge
5. Less expensive compared dental implants	5. Neighboring teeth are more susceptible to bacteria around margins
6. Permanently cemented in place	6. Cannot floss between middle tooth (that’s being replaced)
	7. Some patients find it difficult to keep clean beneath the bridge with floss threaders
	8. If either abutment tooth becomes diseased, the bridge must be removed
	9. Will not stimulate the bone of the missing tooth

Since this option is more expensive, knowing you can count on your dental insurance to cover at least a portion of the cost of the bridge is a definite plus.

You also considered it a plus that the 3-unit bridge is cemented in place compared to the removable partial denture.

While this option sounds better than the removable partial denture, its number of disadvantages still make you nervous.

Almost immediately, you take issue with the need to cut down your two neighboring teeth in order to support the bridge.

Learning that many people find it difficult to clean around and under a 3-unit fixed bridge also give you pause. But your greatest concern seems to be that if either of the two supporting teeth become diseased and have to be treated or removed, the bridge becomes a failure and would require being removed and remade.

If either of the two supporting teeth require being extracted, a 4-unit bridge will be the replacement. You will need to pay again for a new bridge.

You feel better about this option, but you’re not convinced that this is the best solution either. Now you’re hopeful that the third option she promised will offer more advantages and less disadvantages. You’re in luck!

Questions To Ask Your Implant Doctor

Option #3: Dental Implant

She outlines the pros and cons that you would need to consider before you could chose the dental implant option. The table below is how she shares your options:

Dental Implant Pros and Cons

Your dentist saved discussing the dental implant option for last. And for some reason you knew as soon as she began sharing her insights, the dental implant would likely be the option she favored most.

She outlined the pros and cons of a dental implant almost verbatim to the table below:

PROS	CONS
1. Each implant replaces an individual tooth	1, Priced highest of the three options – $5,000
2. Most capable of looking and feels identical to a natural tooth	2. Inconsistent dental insurance coverage
3. Completely independent of the neighboring teeth	3. Requires surgery
4. Allows flossing between each of the neighboring teeth	4. Requires a 2 ½ to 5-month healing period following surgery
5. Maintains jawbone where tooth was extracted
6. Greatest potential to last several decades or for the remainder of the patient’s life
7. The crown is permanently screwed in place

Immediately you notice the advantages outweighed the disadvantages in the implant option.

Your dentist explained that the implant is completely independent of the neighboring teeth. Therefore, the integrity of your neighboring teeth would not be compromised by partial denture hooks or shaving down the teeth for a 3-unit bridge.

Knowing the crown of this tooth would be supported by a dental implant, and not other teeth, is easily recognized as a major plus.

Dental implant is a root replacement and the crown is secured on top.

Certainly the higher priced fee of $5,000 concerned you, especially knowing your dental insurance plan does not offer coverage for implants.

But you can appreciate this investment given that the dental implant offers the best opportunity to last a lifetime.

This meant the likelihood of you only having to pay for the replacement of your missing tooth once was most favorable.

So you made the wise decision to choose the dental implant method to replace your missing tooth. The only thing left was to figure out how to make the $5,000 fit your budget.

Best Treatment Financing Companies To Consider

How You Made the Dental Implant Fit Your Budget

Your dental office encouraged you to visit the Making Dental Implant Treatment Affordable page for several up to date resources that can make paying for dental implants achievable. After visiting the page in 2024 you spoke with your HR department to understand your open enrollment possibilities.

You concluded that it makes sense to fund a Health-FSA at the maximum allowable amount of $3,300 for the 2025 year. Taking this route allowed you to use the entire $3,300 amount at the beginning of 2025 for your dental implant treatment.

At the same time, the FSA allowed you to take 12-months to fund through automatic, tax-free, payroll deductions in the amount of $137.50 on the 1st and 15th of each month. You believe this is definitely an affordable way to cover the majority of your implant fee.

Being in the 24% tax bracket, you realize that an FSA would save you $792 in pre-tax income. You figured since you were going to spend the money anyway, you may as well reduce your taxable income in the process.

Since your credit card routinely makes you interest-free offers, you picked up on the idea of using a 12-month interest-free credit card to cover the remaining $1,800 difference for this purpose. Easy decision. You planned to pay this off during the interest-free promotional period with 12-equal payments of at least $150.

Between your $137.50 twice a month FSA payroll contributions ($137.50 x 2 = $275) and your $150 monthly credit card payment, this left you with a monthly dental implant budget of $425 for a period of one year.

Now, you have your implant supported tooth and no one is more pleased with this decision than you. Your implant tooth functions very well and looks great; so much so that you have to give it deep thought to distinguish the implant tooth from your natural teeth.

Congratulations! You clearly made the wise and economical choice.

Summary

Replacing a missing tooth with a dental implant may have an initial higher fee compared to a partial denture or a fixed 3-unit fixed bridge. However, partial dentures and fixed bridges come with more adverse long-term issues than benefits.

Choosing to replace a missing tooth with a dental implant, in spite of its higher initial fee, is generally a better long-term investment. Of the three options, a dental implant offers the greatest potential to last the longest, perhaps a lifetime with proper hygiene and maintenance.

A lack of dental insurance coverage does not have to be a deterrent. When the cost of a dental implant present as a challenge, consider budgeting strategies that can make the procedure affordable.

Leveraging an FSA and an interest free credit card can make paying for a dental implant quite affordable. Reducing your income tax burden and avoiding interest charges when possible is almost always a good idea. When given a choice, choose the dental implant.