The other alternatives are to leave it alone, if you have too many teeth you can have braces to close the gap, or to wear a denture -- a fake tooth that you put on for aesthetics and remove at night when you go to sleep, but it’s not very strong because it’s made of plastic.
One other option is to do a bridge -- you shave down the tooth on each side and just add a bridge, very conventional and very safe. That’s something that can be done if the two teeth next to the gap are strong.
A dental implant most of the time is the first choice if you have enough jaw bone. They are really good substitutes for teeth because it’s like a one-for-one replacement.
If you do a bridge, it’s a fantastic idea if you do not have enough jaw bone for some reason and are unable to put an implant in position.
But the problem with doing a bridge is that it affects the two teeth next to it. Sometimes when you cut the two teeth down, they also get traumatised and then you end up having to do root canal treatment.
In the long term, you can cause damage to the two teeth as well so there’s a chance you could lose 3 teeth at once. That’s the disadvantage of doing a bridge, even though it is a really good option.
