Replacing Missing Teeth: What You Need to Know

Missing teeth affect far more than your smile — they impact how you eat, speak, and feel about yourself, and they set off a chain of changes in your jawbone and surrounding teeth that worsen over time. The good news is that modern periodontology offers better tooth replacement options than ever before. At Metropolitan Periodontists in Minneapolis, Drs. Elias Kersten, Mark Wilson, and Tamir Shalev help Twin Cities patients find the solution that best fits their anatomy, lifestyle, and goals.

Dental Implants: The Gold Standard

Dental implants are widely considered the best long-term solution for missing teeth, and for good reason. A titanium post is surgically placed into the jawbone, where it fuses with the bone through a process called osseointegration. This creates a stable, permanent foundation for a custom-made crown that looks, feels, and functions like a natural tooth.

Key advantages of dental implants:

• Preserve jawbone: The implant post stimulates the bone just as a natural root did, preventing the bone loss that occurs with every other replacement option
• Don't affect neighboring teeth: Unlike bridges, implants don't require grinding down adjacent healthy teeth
• Long-lasting: With proper care, implants can last decades — often a lifetime
• Natural feel: Patients typically forget they have an implant; there's no slippage or discomfort
• Easy maintenance: Brush and floss normally — no special cleaning routines needed

Metropolitan Periodontists offers single-tooth implants, multiple-implant restorations, and full-arch implant solutions, including Digital Dentistry planning for precise, predictable placement.

Implant-Supported Bridges and Dentures

For patients missing multiple consecutive teeth or a full arch, implant-supported bridges and dentures offer the stability and bone-preserving benefits of implants at a reduced per-tooth cost. Rather than placing an individual implant for every missing tooth, strategically placed implants anchor a bridge or denture securely.

Implant-supported dentures are a significant upgrade from traditional removable dentures — they eliminate slippage, dramatically improve chewing efficiency, and halt the bone loss that causes the facial changes typical of long-term denture wearers. Our practice offers Trabecular Implants, a specialized system that can be beneficial in cases of limited bone density.

Traditional Dental Bridges

A fixed dental bridge replaces one or more missing teeth by anchoring to the natural teeth on either side (the abutment teeth), which must be filed down to accept crowns. The replacement tooth (pontic) spans the gap.

Bridges are a well-established option that can be completed without surgery, which appeals to some patients. However, they have important limitations: the underlying bone still resorbs without stimulation, the abutment teeth are permanently altered, and bridges typically need replacement after 10–15 years. For most patients who are good surgical candidates, an implant offers better long-term value.

Removable Partial and Full Dentures

Removable dentures remain an option for patients who are not candidates for implants or prefer to avoid surgery. Modern dentures are more comfortable and natural-looking than previous generations. However, they come with real trade-offs: they can shift during eating and speaking, they require removal and special cleaning, and they do nothing to stop bone resorption — meaning the jawbone will continue to shrink, causing the denture to fit less well over time and changing the appearance of your face.

Many patients who begin with traditional dentures ultimately opt for implant-supported alternatives once they experience the limitations of removable appliances.

Bone Grafting: Restoring Options You Thought Were Gone

Patients who have had missing teeth for years often assume they've lost the chance for implants due to bone loss. Bone grafting — including Metropolitan Periodontists' advanced SMART Bone Grafting technique — can rebuild lost bone volume and restore candidacy for implant placement. Grafting can also be performed at the time of extraction to preserve the socket and simplify future implant placement.

How to Choose the Right Option for You

The best solution depends on your specific anatomy, how long the tooth has been missing, the health of surrounding teeth and gums, and your overall health profile. During a consultation at our downtown Minneapolis practice, we evaluate your bone levels with digital imaging, review your medical history, and walk you through all available options with honest recommendations — not pressure.

Metropolitan Periodontists has been recognized as a Top Dentist practice in the Twin Cities by Minnesota Monthly and Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine, and voted 2025's Best Dentist in Minneapolis. We're proud to serve patients throughout the greater Minneapolis area, including the Twin Cities metro region.

To schedule a consultation, call (612) 332-0869 or visit us at 74 South 9th Street, Suite 210, Minneapolis, MN 55402.