Missing Tooth — Replacement Is a Choice, Not an Emergency
A gap can be left, bridged, or replaced with an implant. The right one depends on the neighbouring teeth and the bone.
What is happening?
A missing tooth is a gap where a tooth used to be, or a tooth that never formed. Neighbours can drift, the bite can change, and chewing shifts to the other side. None of that is a same-night emergency unless the gum is swollen or a recent extraction is bleeding.
Schedule a visit
Common symptoms
- A visible gap
- Food catching where the tooth was
- Neighbours tipping into the space
- Chewing only on one side
Is it urgent?
A recent extraction that is bleeding or throbbing days later — that is the extraction, not the gap. A loose neighbouring tooth — book sooner. A long-standing gap with no pain — a consultation, not the emergency line.
Before a replacement consultation
Note what you want
Chewing, appearance, or both. That changes whether we talk about an implant, a bridge, or a partial denture.
Bring old x-rays if you have them
They show how long the tooth has been gone. You do not need them to book.
Leave a fresh socket alone
If the tooth came out this week, follow those after-care instructions. Replacement planning waits until the gum has settled.
Common causes
Extraction because of decay, fracture, or infection · Trauma · A tooth that never developed · Advanced gum disease
How we diagnose it
We examine the gap, the bite, and the neighbouring teeth, and we image the bone. An implant needs enough bone. A bridge needs strong neighbours. A partial denture needs neither, and it comes out at night. The consult is where those three are compared for your mouth.
How we treat it
Implant
A titanium root placed in the bone, then a crown after healing. Bone grafting is sometimes required first. We do not quote a success percentage.
Bridge or partial
A bridge uses the teeth beside the gap. A partial denture replaces one or many teeth and is removable. You leave the consult with a written estimate, not a same-day surgery unless that was the plan you already made.
Case examples
See before-and-after cases for this type of treatment. Individual results vary.
See example results →Related pages
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Still have a question? Our team is happy to help over the phone.
(416) 483-0000Do I have to replace a missing tooth?
No. You should know what the gap will do to the bite if you leave it. Replacement is a decision after that explanation.
Can you place an implant the day the tooth comes out?
Sometimes, when the bone and the infection allow it. It is a planned procedure, not the default at an emergency extraction.
Will a bridge damage the other teeth?
A traditional bridge means shaping the neighbours. We say that plainly before you choose it over an implant or a partial.
Read this as education
These are common patterns, not a diagnosis of your tooth. Your dentist determines the cause during an examination.