What are the alternatives to implants?

The alternatives to implants are dentures or bridges. On the other hand, you may choose to simply accept the space where a tooth is missing.

A denture typically contains a metal and/or plastic base carrying plastic or porcelain artificial teeth. It is a changeable replacement for a few missing teeth (partial denture) or a whole set of teeth (complete dentures). Dentures are very common but they can become loose, making it difficult to eat and speak. One or more implants can be fitted to help support and retain a denture.

A link consists of artificial teeth cemented onto adjacent natural teeth. If a fixed bridge were to be used, your dentist would cut down the adjacent teeth (the second molar and the second bicuspid) and fit a three unit fixed bridge over those two teeth.

The missing tooth would be called a poetic and it would be effectively replaced by the three unit bridge. If your dentist were to use an implant with a crown on it, he would place an implant in the site of the original first molar. He could do this immediately or at some date after the first molar was removed. There is no time limit here. The implant will take about 3 months to connect with the bone and then at that time, your dentist can construct a single crown on the implant to replace the missing first molar.

The price of each dental implant of these processes differs from office to office, but a three unit fixed bridge costs about the same as an implant and a crown. The actual decision to do one over the other rests with you and your dentist. One technique is not inherently better than the other and each depends upon how you present and your dentist's skills.