Missing Teeth Treatment in Marylebone, London
A missing tooth is not only a gap. The jawbone that held its root begins to shrink once it is gone, the teeth either side start to drift, and the longer the gap is left the more the eventual treatment has to rebuild.
- CBCT scan on site
- GDC-registered dentists
- Written plan before you commit
Missing front tooth
A missing front tooth is the gap people most want closed quickly, and the one where the finish matters most. The options are the same four as for any tooth: an implant, a conventional bridge, a resin-bonded bridge or a small partial denture. At the front, the gum line and the shade decide how natural the result looks, so the plan starts with a CBCT scan of the bone that supports the gum.
You are not left with a gap while an implant heals: a temporary crown, bonded tooth or small denture covers it. The single tooth implant page covers front tooth implants in detail, and same day implants explains when a temporary can go on the day.
Missing back tooth or molar
A missing back tooth is easy to ignore because nobody sees it, but it does most of the chewing. Over time the tooth above can drift down into the space and the teeth beside it can tip, which changes the bite and narrows the gap. The bone under it shrinks too, and in the upper jaw the sinus can drop into the space, which is why a molar left for years more often needs a sinus lift or bone graft before an implant.
Leaving it is a legitimate choice, and it is best made on purpose with the scan in front of you, at an implant consultation.
What you're seeing
What a gap in teeth does over time
Losing a tooth sets off changes that are easy to miss because they happen slowly. The alveolar bone that surrounded the root was maintained by being loaded every time you chewed. Once the root is gone that signal stops, and the ridge loses width first and then height. Most of that change happens in the first year.
Meanwhile the teeth either side of the gap tend to tip into it, and the opposing tooth in the other jaw can over-erupt because nothing meets it. Both make the bite less even, and both narrow the space available for whatever eventually fills the gap. A gap that could have taken a straightforward implant can become one that needs orthodontic space-opening or grafting first.
None of this means an old gap cannot be treated. It means the options change. A recently lost tooth is often a simple single implant. A gap left for years is more likely to need bone rebuilt before an implant can be placed where the tooth actually needs to be. The realistic alternatives are a conventional bridge, which uses the neighbouring teeth for support, or a removable partial denture, and both are genuinely reasonable choices in the right mouth. Which of the three suits you depends as much on the health of the remaining teeth as on the gap itself.
Why it happens
What causes tooth loss
- Advanced gum disease, which is the most common reason UK adults lose teeth
- Tooth decay that has progressed too far for the tooth to be restored
- A cracked or split tooth, often in a heavily filled or root-treated tooth
- Failure of a previous root canal treatment, crown or bridge
- Facial or dental trauma, particularly to the front teeth
- Teeth that never developed, which most often affects the upper lateral incisors
Treatment approach
Tooth replacement options in Marylebone
Single Tooth Implant
On enquiryThe usual first choice for one missing tooth with healthy neighbours, because it replaces the root without cutting down the teeth either side and keeps loading the bone under the gap.
See treatment detail →Implant Consultation
On enquiryThe starting point in every case. A CBCT scan measures how much bone is left, which is what decides whether the gap can take an implant directly or needs rebuilding first.
See treatment detail →Bone Grafting
On enquiryWhere a gap has been left long enough for the ridge to narrow, grafting rebuilds enough width or height for the implant to sit where the finished tooth needs to be.
See treatment detail →Implant Bridge
On enquiryWhere two or more teeth in a row are missing, a bridge carried on two or three implants replaces them without cutting down the teeth either side.
See treatment detail →Full Arch Implants
On enquiryWhere most of an arch is missing or failing, replacing the whole arch on four to six implants is usually more predictable than treating each gap separately.
See treatment detail →FAQ
Missing teeth questions,
answered
How long can I leave a missing tooth before it becomes a problem?
There is no safe deadline, but the fastest bone loss happens in the first year, and drifting of the neighbouring teeth follows over the years after. Treatment stays possible far later, it simply involves more rebuilding. If you are undecided, an early assessment tells you what you are trading.
Do I have to replace a missing back tooth nobody can see?
Not necessarily, and choosing not to is a legitimate option that should be costed alongside the others. What you should know is that the opposing tooth may over-erupt, the neighbours may tip, and the bone will shrink, which can complicate treatment later. It is a decision, not an oversight.
Is an implant always better than a bridge?
No. An implant leaves the neighbouring teeth untouched, which is its main advantage. But if those teeth already need crowns, a bridge may achieve two things at once. If bone is very deficient, or you smoke heavily, a bridge can be the more predictable choice. It depends on the mouth.
Can several missing teeth be replaced at once?
Yes. Several gaps can be treated with individual implants, with an implant-supported bridge spanning them, or, where most of an arch is affected, with a full arch solution on four to six implants. Which is appropriate depends on where the gaps are and how much bone supports them.
Can dental implants last forever?
No implant comes with a lifetime guarantee, although many last for decades. What decides it is gum health, smoking, diabetes control and how well the implant is cleaned. The crown is the part most likely to need replacing first, and replacing it does not mean further surgery. Marylebone Dental Implants builds review appointments into every plan for that reason.
Related Concerns
Get Started
Request a dental implant assessment in Marylebone,
and UNTIL Health Concierge arranges it at Orchard Street.
Marylebone Dental Implants • UNTIL, 1 Orchard Street, London W1H 6HJ
Request an assessmentThe UNTIL Health Concierge team says it will be in touch within 24 hours of your enquiry.