Tooth replacement in Kenya: implant, bridge or denture?
The three ways to replace a missing tooth, how they compare, what happens if you leave the gap, and how to choose.
Part of Dental services
If you have lost a tooth, you have three options: an implant, a bridge or a denture. Which one suits you depends on your jawbone, your neighbouring teeth and your budget. This guide compares them so you can have a useful conversation with a dentist.
How do the options compare?
| Implant | Bridge | Denture | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Titanium root in the jaw with a crown on top | False tooth anchored to the teeth either side | Removable replacement teeth |
| Starting price | KES 140,000 | KES 25,000 per unit | KES 13,000 |
| Fixed or removable | Fixed | Fixed | Removable |
| Affects other teeth? | No | Reshapes the anchor teeth | Partials may clip on to teeth |
| Often suits | One or a few teeth, with healthy bone | A gap with strong teeth either side | Several or all teeth missing |
Is this right for someone like me?
An implant may suit you if you want the closest thing to a natural tooth and have enough healthy jawbone and healthy gums. If bone has been lost, a graft may be needed first. Uncontrolled diabetes and heavy smoking both reduce success rates. A 3D scan at our Digital Centre answers this definitively.
A bridge may suit you if the teeth next to the gap are strong, and especially if they already need crowns. It is quicker and cheaper than an implant, but it involves reshaping healthy teeth.
A denture may suit you if several teeth are missing, if you want the lowest starting cost, or if surgery is not right for you.
Why do teeth go missing?
The most common causes are decay and gum disease that were not treated in time, followed by injury. Some people are also born without certain teeth. Treating the cause matters, because the same problem can affect the teeth you still have.
What happens if you leave the gap?
The neighbouring teeth drift into the space and the opposing tooth grows down into it, which changes your bite. The jawbone under the gap gradually shrinks. You may also find chewing on that side harder, or clean less well around the tilted teeth.
None of this is urgent, but all of it makes replacing the tooth harder and more expensive later.
How do you pay for it?
Implants and other major treatment can be paid in instalments, and part of the cost may be covered when it is medically necessary. See what each option costs.
Still not sure? Ask a dentist
Tell us what is going on and we will tell you plainly what it needs, what it costs and what your cover pays for.