What Happens If You Don't Replace a Missing Tooth?

Losing a tooth leaves a decision behind: fill the gap, or live with it. When the gap sits where nobody can see it, living with it can look like the simpler and cheaper option. What follows covers that decision and the usual ways a gap gets filled, hedges included.

What can follow a missing tooth

Tooth loss can happen because of gum disease, tooth decay or trauma. Once it happens, it can lead to other oral health issues like bone loss, shifting teeth or jaw pain. Unless you replace a lost tooth, you're more likely to lose another one in the future (Cleveland Clinic).

The wording matters: can happen, can lead, more likely. This is what may follow a lost tooth, not what is certain to.

The usual replacements

Treatments for replacing a tooth include dental implants, bridges and dentures (Cleveland Clinic).

Dental implants

A dental implant replaces a missing tooth root (American College of Prosthodontists). Once the implant heals, your dentist can restore it with an artificial tooth (Cleveland Clinic).

Dental bridges

Dental bridges can replace one tooth or a row of missing teeth (American Dental Association (MouthHealthy)). There are four main types: the traditional bridge, which is the most common type; the cantilever bridge, which is similar to a traditional bridge but has a crown on only one end rather than both; the Maryland or resin-bonded bridge, which uses metal wings instead of crowns; and the implant-supported bridge, which is similar to a traditional bridge but rests atop dental implants instead of natural teeth (Cleveland Clinic).

Comparing the options against one another is a separate subject. We have articles on implant, bridge or denture and on dental bridges.

Next step

Our office is at 147 Main St, 2nd Floor, Lodi, NJ 07644, and Dr. Steven Liao is our dentist. New patients can start at our first-visit page.

Sources

• Cleveland Clinic. "Tooth Loss." Updated 2024-08-20. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/tooth-loss
• Cleveland Clinic. "Dental Implants." Updated 2026-06-11. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/10903-dental-implants
• Cleveland Clinic. "Dental Bridges." Updated 2023-05-24. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/10921-dental-bridges
• American College of Prosthodontists. "Dental Implants." https://www.gotoapro.org/dental-implants/
• American Dental Association (MouthHealthy). "Bridges." https://www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/bridges