Overview
Not every smile starts from the same place.
Many Australians live with missing teeth whether from decay, gum disease, failed dental work, injury or long-term denture use.
Missing teeth can affect your ability to eat, speak or feel confident in everyday life.
The good news is that effective & permanent solutions exist.
Missing teeth can be replaced with dentures, traditional dental implants or a fixed full-arch implant solution such as All-On-4 Plus®.
Each option has different clinical indications, costs and timelines.
This page explains the available options available for missing teeth.
Why Missing Teeth Require Treatment
Leaving missing teeth untreated has consequences that extend well beyond aesthetics:
Bone loss: When a tooth is removed the jawbone in that area begins to resorb (shrink) because it no longer receives stimulation from chewing.
This process accelerates over time particularly in patients who wear dentures.
Shifting teeth: Neighbouring teeth gradually drift toward the gap affecting your bite alignment and potentially causing jaw pain, headaches and uneven wear on remaining teeth.
Difficulty eating: Missing back teeth significantly reduce your ability to chew properly which affects nutrition and digestion.
Changes in facial structure: Progressive bone loss causes the face to take on a sunken appearance, ageing patients beyond their years.
Loss of confidence: Social and psychological impacts are well documented many patients avoid smiling, speaking or eating in public.
FAQs
Find answers to the questions we're often asked. If you'd like to discuss anything further, get in touch with our team.
Patients are frequently told elsewhere that their case is "too complex" due to severe bone loss, long-term denture use, failed dental work or complicating medical factors.
All-On-4 Plus® is designed precisely for these situations. Using advanced techniques such as:
Zygomatic implants - longer implants that anchor into the cheekbones, bypassing areas of poor upper-jaw bone
Pterygoid implants - anchoring into the pterygoid bone at the rear of the jaw
Strategic implant angulation - tilting implants to access denser and more stable bone areas.
All-On-4 Plus® providers can often achieve stable, fixed outcomes even when conventional approaches have been ruled out. A thorough assessment including 3D CBCT imaging is a reliable way to determine what is possible for an individual case.
Dentures (removable)
Dentures are a common and lowest cost option for replacing missing teeth.
They are removable, rest on the gums and rely on suction or adhesive for stability.
While functional dentures have significant limitations they can slip while eating or speaking, reduce your sense of taste, cause gum irritation and do not prevent ongoing bone loss.
All On 4 Plus® Dental Implants (fixed)
All On 4 Plus® is a modern alternative to dentures. It delivered fixed, natural-looking teeth often in one procedure.
The term ‘ALL-ON-4 Plus®’ refers to the replacement of all teeth on four dental implants which support them.
The technique evolved from traditional methods to overcome anatomical limitations and to simplify maintenance. With less hardware there is also an improved flexibility in the design of the teeth for optimal function, strength and aesthetics
Choosing a solution has many clinical factors so it is important for a dentist to assess properly.
A qualified dentist or prosthodontist can evaluate your jawbone (density & volume), gum health, signs of periodontal disease and other factors. This will help give a realistic picture of outcomes, maintenance and long term costs.