| Implants | Bridges | Partial Dentures | Full Dentures |
Ability to Chew | Optimal – Better than the other options | Usually good | Use other teeth for support; usually poor | Poor |
Esthetics | Most natural | Usually good | Usually have clasps that show | Plastic teeth and gingiva appear unnatural |
Durability | Considered to be permanent | Average lifetime is 8 years | Need adjustments and replacements frequently | Usually redone every 5 years |
Maintenance | Routine check-up and good oral hygiene | Routine check-up and good oral hygiene | Routine check-up and good oral hygiene | Routine check-up and good oral hygiene |
Practicality | In most cases, very practical | Not possible if adjacent teeth are not present | Impractical if adjacent teeth are of poor quality | Not practical if underlying bone is resorbed |
Comfort | Most comfortable | Difficult to floss under | Can be uncomfortable | Can be uncomfortable |
Damage to Adjacent Teeth | Not applicable | Adjacent teeth permanently damaged during fabrication | Remaining teeth altered and damaged during fabrication | Not applicable |
Cost | Comparable to the other options | Depends on number of missing teeth | Varies | Varies |
Bone Support | Preserves boney structures of the jaws | No bone support | Destroys boney support | Destroys boney support |