If you are missing a single tooth, one implant and a crown can replace it. A dental implant replaces both the lost natural tooth and its root.

Dental implants provide several advantages over tooth replacement options. In addition to looking and functioning like a natural tooth, a dental implant replaces a single tooth without sacrificing the health of neighboring teeth. The other common treatment for the loss of a single tooth, a tooth-supported fixed bridge, requires that the adjacent teeth be ground down to support the cemented bridge.

Because a dental implant will replace your tooth at the root, the bone is better preserved. With a bridge, some of the bone that previously surrounded the tooth begins to reabsorb (deteriorate). Dental implants integrate with your jawbone, helping to keep the bone healthy and intact.