Missing teeth? Which option fits
Getting your photo taken and not thinking about your mouth. There are six common ways to replace missing teeth, and the right one depends on how many teeth are gone, how much bone you have, your health, and your budget.
The six options side by side
Lifespans and healing times come from the sources listed at the bottom. Trip counts are not in any source. They follow from the healing times. Anything on implants needs the bone to fuse for months before the final teeth go on, so the final teeth are a second trip. The clinic confirms after an exam and X-rays.
| Option | What it is | Fixed or removable | Trips | How long it usually lasts | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single implant with crown | A titanium post in the jawbone with a crown on top 1 | Fixed | Two (post, then crown months later). Three if you need a graft first | Implants "can often last a lifetime"; the crown about 15 years 1 | One or a few missing teeth, enough bone, healthy gums, not smoking 1 |
| Bridge | False tooth held by crowns on the teeth either side of the gap 2 | Fixed | One (two visits over two to four weeks) 2 | Five to 15 years on average 2 | A gap with solid teeth on both sides; no surgery wanted. The neighbor teeth get ground down for good 2 |
| Full or partial dentures | Removable false teeth on a gum-colored base; partials clip to remaining teeth 3 | Removable | One if you stay for the fitting visits 3 | Seven to 10 years, with a reline every one to two years 3 | Missing most or all teeth; lowest cost; no surgery. Slips and loosens as the jaw shrinks 3 |
| Snap-on dentures | A removable denture that clips onto implants 4 | Removable (clips on and off) | Two (implants, then the denture after three to six months of healing) 4 | Implants can last a lifetime; the denture is replaced every 15 to 20 years 4 | Denture wearers tired of slipping, with enough bone or a graft 4 |
| All-on-4 | A full fixed row of teeth for one jaw on four implants, two tilted at the back 5 | Fixed | Two (surgery with temporary teeth, then the final bridge after healing) | Implant survival 94% to 98% at six to eleven years across 25 studies 5 | Missing all teeth in a jaw; wants fixed teeth; may avoid a bone graft because of the tilt 5 |
| All-on-6 | The same, on six implants 6 | Fixed | Two, plus one more if a sinus lift or graft comes first | Five-year implant survival 98.7% for six-implant vs 98.4% for four-implant bridges 7 | Chosen by the clinic from bone height and width and risk factors such as smoking 7 |
What the table does not tell you
Bone decides more than you might think. Every option with an implant needs enough jawbone to hold it. If you have worn dentures for years, the jaw has likely shrunk 3. A CBCT scan (a 3D X-ray) shows what you have left 8. A bone graft can add bone, but it needs at least three months to knit and can take up to a year 9. For the upper back jaw, a sinus lift adds bone under the sinus and heals in about six to eight months 10.
Health decides the rest. Untreated gum disease, unmanaged diabetes and current smoking make implants a poor bet 1. Smoking lowered implant survival in a study that followed 561 All-on-4 jaws for 3 to 17 years 11. If that is you, a regular denture or a bridge may be the honest answer until those are sorted.
Fixed is not always better. A snap-on denture comes out at night and is easier to clean than a fixed bridge, which you brush like teeth 4. Some people prefer that.
What to ask before you choose
Get the same four things from every clinic you talk to, so you can compare like with like.
- A CBCT scan and a written treatment plan that names the option and why it fits your bone and health.
- An itemized quote that lists scans, extractions, grafts, implants, abutments, temporary teeth, final teeth, sedation and follow-ups.
- The number of trips and the days for each, in writing.
- A written warranty that says what it covers, what it excludes, and who fixes problems after you go home.
Then read the guide for the option that comes up, and look at its price table:
Single implant with crown: what it costs by city
| City | Price | vs US | Clinics |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States typical | $3,000-$5,000 | ||
| Medellín Colombia | $1,350 | 55-73% less | 4 |
| Tijuana Mexico | $1,900 | 37-62% less | 13 |
| Mexico City Mexico | $2,467 | 18-51% less | 4 |
Full denture: what it costs by city
| City | Price | vs US | Clinics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Algodones Mexico | $400 | 20 | |
| Ciudad Juárez Mexico | $425 | 3 | |
| Puerto Vallarta Mexico | $569 | 4 | |
| Tijuana Mexico | $600 | 24 | |
| Escazú Costa Rica | $760 | 3 |
Partial denture: what it costs by city
| City | Price | vs US | Clinics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancún Mexico | $400 | 4 | |
| Tijuana Mexico | $490 | 16 | |
| Los Algodones Mexico | $500 | 16 | |
| Mexico City Mexico | $534 | 3 | |
| Puerto Vallarta Mexico | $580 | 3 |
Snap-on denture: what it costs by city
| City | Price | vs US | Clinics |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Miguel de Allende Mexico | $3,000 | 3 | |
| Medellín Colombia | $4,000 | 3 | |
| Los Algodones Mexico | $4,000 | 27 | |
| Cancún Mexico | $4,600 | 14 | |
| Nogales Mexico | $5,600 | 3 | |
| Cabo San Lucas Mexico | $6,600 | 3 | |
| Ciudad Juárez Mexico | $6,600 | 3 | |
| Playa del Carmen Mexico | $6,760 | 3 | |
| Tijuana Mexico | $6,760 | 17 | |
| Los Cabos Mexico | $7,000 | 4 |
All-on-4, one arch: what it costs by city
| City | Price | vs US | Clinics |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States typical | $15,000-$25,000 | ||
| Ciudad Juárez Mexico | $6,136 | 59-75% less | 6 |
| Escazú Costa Rica | $8,750 | 42-65% less | 8 |
| Medellín Colombia | $9,000 | 40-64% less | 15 |
| Puerto Vallarta Mexico | $9,000 | 40-64% less | 5 |
| Los Algodones Mexico | $9,488 | 37-62% less | 48 |
| San Luis Río Colorado Mexico | $10,000 | 33-60% less | 5 |
| Tijuana Mexico | $10,000 | 33-60% less | 53 |
| Cancún Mexico | $10,150 | 32-59% less | 44 |
| Playa del Carmen Mexico | $11,000 | 27-56% less | 9 |
| San José Costa Rica | $11,410 | 24-54% less | 10 |
| Cabo San Lucas Mexico | $12,000 | 20-52% less | 7 |
| Los Cabos Mexico | $12,000 | 20-52% less | 5 |
| Mexico City Mexico | $12,334 | 18-51% less | 10 |
| San Miguel de Allende Mexico | $13,995 | 7-44% less | 7 |
All-on-6, one arch: what it costs by city
| City | Price | vs US | Clinics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico City Mexico | $7,565 | 6 | |
| Medellín Colombia | $10,000 | 7 | |
| Ciudad Juárez Mexico | $10,780 | 5 | |
| Los Algodones Mexico | $11,155 | 24 | |
| Cancún Mexico | $11,700 | 12 | |
| Playa del Carmen Mexico | $12,800 | 3 | |
| Tijuana Mexico | $12,800 | 25 | |
| San José Costa Rica | $14,495 | 4 |
Your own dentist, and the clinic's dentist after a scan, decide which of these fits your mouth.
Sources
- Cleveland Clinic, "Dental Implants: Types, Purpose & Benefits". https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/10903-dental-implants
- Cleveland Clinic, "Dental Bridges: Types & Who Needs Them". https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/10921-dental-bridges
- Cleveland Clinic, "What Are Dentures? Types, Care & Benefits". https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/10900-dentures
- Cleveland Clinic, "Implant Supported Dentures: Process, Benefits & Care". https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/24303-implant-supported-dentures
- Gaonkar SH et al., "Survival rates of axial and tilted implants in the rehabilitation of edentulous jaws using the All-on-four concept: A systematic review", Journal of the Indian Prosthodontic Society, 2021. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8061444/
- Sriharsha et al., "A comparative clinical study of stress distribution around implant supporting all-on-four versus all-on-six prosthetic concepts", Bioinformation, 2026. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13150235/
- Caramês J et al., "Four vs. Six Implant Full-Arch Restorations: A Direct Comparative Retrospective Analysis in a Large Controlled Treatment Cohort", Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2025. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12194759/
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, "Dental Cone-beam Computed Tomography". https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitting-products/medical-x-ray-imaging/dental-cone-beam-computed-tomography
- Cleveland Clinic, "Dental Bone Graft: Process, Purpose & Healing". https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21727-dental-bone-graft
- Alsharekh et al., "Evolving Techniques and Trends in Maxillary Sinus Lift Procedures in Implant Dentistry: A Review of Contemporary Advances", Cureus, 2024. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11560410/
- Uesugi T et al., "The All-on-four concept for fixed full-arch rehabilitation of the edentulous maxilla and mandible: a longitudinal study in Japanese patients with 3-17-year follow-up", International Journal of Implant Dentistry, 2023. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10632321/