Fibre bridge vs implant vs denture for one missing tooth
There are four common ways to replace one missing tooth: a fibre bridge, an implant, a conventional bridge and a partial denture. If the teeth on both sides of your gap are firm and healthy, a fibre bridge gives you a fixed, tooth-coloured tooth without surgery and without crowning your other teeth. It is built in the chair, directly on your teeth, so there's no laboratory stage to wait for.
We place fibre bridges at Durban Dental Care. At an assessment we check the gap and the teeth around it and tell you whether a fibre bridge will work for you, and if it won't, what the other options involve.
The four options side by side
The big differences are whether surgery is involved, whether you can take the tooth out, and what happens to the teeth next to the gap.
| Option | How it is held | Surgery | Removable | Teeth next to the gap | Visits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fibre bridge | A fibre strip bonded to the teeth either side, with the new tooth built onto it | No | No, it is fixed | Carry the bridge, with little or no drilling | An assessment, then the bridge is built in the chair |
| Implant | A post in the jawbone with a crown on top | Yes, with time to heal | No | Left as they are | Several, with healing time between |
| Conventional bridge | Made in a laboratory and cemented to crowns on the teeth either side | No | No | Shaped down to take crowns | Two or more, with laboratory time |
| Partial denture | A plate that carries the false tooth | No | Yes, you take it out to clean it | May clip onto them | Two or more |
A fibre bridge
A fibre bridge, also called a fibre-reinforced composite bridge, is made at your appointment. We bond a strip of reinforcing fibre to the teeth on either side of the gap, then build the new tooth onto it in tooth-coloured composite, layer by layer, and shape and polish it before you leave. Nothing goes into the jawbone.
It needs firm, healthy teeth either side, with enough sound enamel for the fibre to bond to. It is less likely to suit you if those teeth are loose, heavily filled or decayed, if gum disease needs treating first, if several teeth are missing, or if you have a heavy bite or grind your teeth.
On lifespan, a 2017 systematic review of 592 fibre bridges estimated that 94.5% were still in place at 4.8 years. The studies were small and most looked back at past cases, so the authors describe fibre bridges as a medium-term option. Read what that means for you in how long a fibre bridge lasts, and see the treatment itself on our fibre bridge page.
An implant
An implant is a post placed in the jawbone, with a crown fitted on top once the bone has healed around it. Because it stands on its own, the teeth either side of the gap are left as they are. The trade-off is minor surgery and several visits over a period of months, with healing time in between.
A conventional or resin-bonded bridge
A conventional bridge is made in a dental laboratory and usually cemented to crowns on the teeth either side of the gap, so those teeth are shaped down to take the crowns. It can make sense when those teeth already have large fillings or crowns of their own.
A resin-bonded bridge, sometimes called a Maryland bridge, is also made in a laboratory, but it is glued to the back of the neighbouring teeth instead of being cemented to crowns.
A partial denture
A partial denture is a removable plate carrying one or more false teeth. It may clip onto the teeth either side to stay in place, and you take it out to clean it. Because one plate can carry several teeth, it is often the practical choice when several teeth are missing in different places.
Which option suits your situation
- One tooth missing, firm and healthy teeth either side, and you'd like it replaced without surgery: a fibre bridge is likely to suit you.
- You want a tooth that doesn't depend on its neighbours, and you're able to have minor surgery and wait for healing: an implant is the option to look at.
- The teeth either side already have large fillings or crowns: a conventional bridge may make more sense, because those teeth may need crowns anyway.
- Several teeth missing in different places: a partial denture is usually the practical option.
- You grind your teeth heavily, or the gap is wide: ask us whether a fibre bridge will hold up. Grinding puts extra load on composite, and a fibre bridge may not be the right choice.
If you can't tell which of these fits you, the assessment settles it. If it has been a while since your last visit, start with a check-up.
Questions to ask before you choose
Put the same questions to every option, and the differences show up quickly.
- How many visits will it take, and over how long?
- Is there surgery, and how long is the healing time?
- How do I clean it, and does it come out?
- What happens to the teeth next to the gap?
- What happens if it chips, cracks or comes loose?
- What will it cost, and what will my medical aid pay? For the fibre bridge side of that question, see what a fibre bridge costs.
If you're about to lose a tooth
If a tooth has to come out, ask about replacing it while you plan the extraction, so you know your options and the timing before the gap appears. A fibre bridge can fill the gap once the area has healed: we check the healing and tell you when it can go in. Read about tooth extraction, and afterwards our guide to caring for the socket after an extraction.
Your questions about fibre bridges and implants
For one missing tooth with firm, healthy teeth either side, a fibre bridge replaces it without surgery and without crowning those teeth. An implant stands on its own, but it means minor surgery and months of healing. If you want to avoid surgery and your neighbouring teeth are healthy, choose the fibre bridge; if you want a tooth that does not rely on its neighbours and you are happy to have surgery and wait, an implant is the one to look at.
Yes. In a 2017 review of 592 fibre bridges, 64% replaced a front tooth, and the small studies behind it reported 85.6% to 97.7% of front-tooth bridges still in place after four and a half to five years. The teeth either side still need to be firm and healthy.
A Maryland bridge, also called a resin-bonded bridge, is a false tooth made in a dental laboratory and glued to the back of the teeth either side of the gap. A fibre bridge holds on the same way, by bonding, but we build it directly on your teeth in tooth-coloured composite, so nothing goes away to a laboratory.
The teeth either side are prepared so the fibre bonds to them, and little or no drilling is usually needed. A conventional bridge, by comparison, usually needs those teeth shaped down for crowns.
For a missing tooth, we place fibre bridges, built in tooth-coloured composite in a shade chosen to match your own teeth. If you already have gold or silver on a tooth and want it gone, we take it off and rebuild the tooth in tooth-coloured composite: see gold tooth removal.
Find out if a fibre bridge will work for you
Book an assessment at Durban Dental Care, 490 Chris Hani Road, Durban North.
- Open Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm and Saturday 9am to 12pm
- Secure parking
- Medical aid, card and cash
What a fibre bridge gives you
The bridge is fixed, so you eat, sleep and clean with it in, with no plate to take out at night. Once a day you clean under the false tooth with a floss threader or a small interdental brush; ask us to show you how before you leave.
We choose the composite shade to match the teeth either side, then shape the new tooth by hand so it sits in line with them.
Chipping of the composite surface is the most common problem with fibre bridges, and a small chip can often be repaired without replacing the whole bridge. Bring it in and we'll tell you what can be done.
Tell us when you book and we'll have headphones, a blanket and pillow and softer lighting ready, with a stress ball to hold if it helps. See the comfort menu.
Request your fibre bridge assessment
We confirm a time at Durban Dental Care, open Saturday mornings too.
Related treatments
Fibre bridge
Replace one missing tooth with a tooth-coloured bridge built in the chair and bonded to the teeth either side, without surgery.
Extractions
When a tooth can't be saved, we take it out under local anaesthetic, including wisdom teeth that have fully come through.
Check-ups and X-rays
Catch decay and gum problems early. We examine your teeth, gums and mouth, and take X-rays only where they're needed.
More about replacing a tooth
What a fibre bridge costs in South Africa
What goes into the cost of a fibre bridge, what else may be needed first, and how medical aid treats it.
- Missing teeth
How long does a fibre bridge last?
How long fibre bridges last in clinical studies, what usually goes wrong, and how to make one last.
- Missing teeth
After a tooth extraction: the first days, healing and dry socket
What to do in the hours and days after an extraction, how long healing takes, and how to spot dry socket.
- Toothache and aftercare
Book a fibre bridge assessment
