By Danielle 
Medically Reviewed By Clove Dental Team
Written By
Dr. Shreya Singh
Last Updated 20 June 2025
Introduction
If you’ve lost a tooth, you’re part of nearly 35% Indian adults who are dealing with one or more missing teeth. But here’s what’s concerning: less than half ever replace it.
You might be telling yourself, “It’s just one tooth, and nobody can see it anyway.” Or maybe you’ve been postponing treatment, unsure about your options or concerned about the investment. We get it—these are common thoughts.
Here’s what many people don’t realize: leaving a missing tooth untreated isn’t just a cosmetic issue. That empty space is working against you every single day. It’s changing how you eat, affecting your confidence when you speak, and slowly but surely impacting your jawbone health. The longer you wait, the more complex and expensive treatment becomes.
The encouraging news? Today’s dental solutions are more effective and comfortable than ever before. The right treatment helps restore full function to your mouth and get back to eating, speaking, and smiling without worry.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through 8 compelling reasons to replace a missing tooth and break down the best missing tooth treatment options available. You’ll have everything you need to make an informed decision about moving forward.
1. Your Other Teeth Begin to Shift
What happens:
- When one tooth is lost, neighboring teeth begin to move or tilt into the empty space. And the opposing tooth in absence of any stop starts overerupting resulting in a longer tooth in the area of missing tooth.
- This disrupts your bite, leads to misalignment, and can cause uneven pressure on remaining teeth.
The risk:
- When your teeth start crowding together or shifting out of place, they become much harder to clean properly. You’ll find yourself struggling to reach certain spots with your toothbrush and floss, which means plaque buildup, tooth decay, and gum disease become real concerns.
- As this shifting continues, gaps start forming where food gets stuck constantly. Your chewing becomes less efficient, and the uneven pressure puts extra strain on your remaining teeth—weakening them over time. Your jaw joints take a beating too, often leading to pain and clicking sounds when you open and close your mouth.
The solution:
Replacing the tooth keeps surrounding teeth stable and aligned. Dental bridges and dental implants work best here. Timely replacement of tooth; our first approach should be to preserve natural teeth only but if for some reason we have to take out the tooth/ teeth their replacement should be planned beforehand extraction.
2. Bone Loss in the Mouth Is Common
What happens:
- Your jawbone needs stimulation from tooth roots to stay strong.
- Without it, your body begins to resorb the bone, causing it to shrink.
- Studies show 25% bone width loss in just 12 months after tooth loss.
The risk:
- Continued dental bone loss can make future tooth replacement more difficult, and cause facial sagging.
The solution:
- Dental implants are the only tooth replacement option that prevents bone loss by integrating with the jawbone.
3. Your Speech May Change
What happens:
- Missing front or side teeth can affect the way you pronounce words.
The result:
- Slurred or unclear speech, whistling sounds, or the need to overcompensate when speaking.
The solution:
- Implants and bridges restore your teeth’s position and let you speak clearly again.
4. Your Face May Start to Sag
What happens:
- Teeth help support the muscles and skin of your face.
The result:
- When several teeth are missing, your cheeks may appear sunken, your lips may sag inward, and premature wrinkles can form.
The solution:
- Timely restoration with dental implants or bridges can help preserve your facial structure and youthful appearance.
5. You Might Lose Confidence
What happens:
- A visible gap in your smile can impact your self-esteem and willingness to smile, laugh, or speak in public.
The result:
- It can affect social life, dating, work presentations, and even mental health.
The solution:
- Replacing a missing tooth gives back your confidence—and your smile.
6. You May Struggle With Eating
What happens:
- Tooth loss makes it harder to chew certain foods properly.
The result:
- You may begin avoiding hard or fibrous foods (like apples, nuts, meats), affecting your nutrition and digestion.
The solution:
- Dental implants and bridges restore full chewing power and allow a balanced diet.
7. Delay Leads to Higher Costs Later
What happens:
- Ignoring a missing tooth today can lead to complications—such as jawbone shrinkage or misaligned teeth—that make treatment more complex and costly in the future.
The result:
- You may require bone grafting, orthodontic correction, or full-mouth rehabilitation later.
The solution:
Early intervention is more affordable and offers better outcomes.
8. You Have Multiple Effective Replacement Options
Let’s look at the most popular missing tooth treatment options, along with their pros and cons:
Dental Implants or Implant-Supported Dentures
Dental implants are titanium posts that are surgically placed into the jawbone, acting as artificial roots. A crown is then fixed on top to restore natural tooth appearance and function.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
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Final Verdict:
Ideal for long-term durability and bone preservation—worth the investment if you’re looking for a permanent, natural-feeling solution.
Cost in India: ₹25,000 – ₹80,000 per implant
Bridge Teeth (Dental Bridges)
A bridge consists of an artificial tooth (pontic) held in place by crowns on neighboring natural teeth.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
|
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Final Verdict:
A solid mid-range option when implants aren’t feasible—quick, functional, and cost-effective, but comes with a trade-off of trimming healthy teeth.
Cost in India: ₹8,000 – ₹20,000 per tooth
Removable Partial or Complete Dentures
Dentures are prosthetic teeth attached to a removable acrylic or metal base. They’re used when several or all teeth are missing.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
|
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Final Verdict:
Best suited for temporary use or full-arch replacement on a budget—but may compromise comfort and stability over time due to its ill-effects on underlying gums and bones.
Cost in India: ₹5,000 – ₹15,000
Should I Fix a Gap in My Teeth?
A single gap creates more problems than you might expect—bite issues, speech changes, jawbone shrinkage, and often a hit to your confidence. What’s worse is that these spaces trap food particles, setting up the perfect environment for cavities and gum disease in your remaining teeth.
How we fix it depends on what caused the gap. When a cavity leads to space creation, just a simple filling will be able to help in closing the gap. But when the underlying problem is gum disease, the first line of action will be treating the gum disease. Once that has subsided, the space is closed by the help of veneers or crowns placement.
The key is addressing it as early as possible—the longer you wait, the more complex the fix becomes.
Looking for the Best Dentist for Replacing Missing Teeth in India?
Clove Dental is Asia’s largest dental chain with the largest and most experienced team of qualified Implantologists and Prosthodontists providing:
- 600+ Clinics Across India
- Advanced Digital Diagnostics
- 100% Sterilization Protocols
- Painless, Affordable Treatment Options
- EMI & Flexible payment plans
Understand your options today with Clove Dental experts. Find a dentist near you today!