The toothless jaw: what the options are

If a jaw is toothless, there is a range of options – and they differ above all in how firmly the restoration sits and what it costs.

The classic full denture

Standard care, cheapest solution. In the upper jaw it usually holds well, in the lower jaw often not satisfactorily.

A denture on two implants

Two implants in the lower jaw, with press studs or a bar on them: the denture clips into place and no longer wobbles. For many this is the greatest gain in quality of life for a manageable effort – see implant denture.

Fixed on four to six implants

A bridge that is not taken out – the thing that comes closest to your own dentition. Correspondingly elaborate and expensive, see All-on-4.

What the bone dictates

After years without teeth the alveolar ridge is often heavily resorbed. What is still possible then is only shown by the three-dimensional X-ray – see little bone.