When a tooth is lost or has to come out, the natural next question is how to replace it. There are three established routes: a dental implant, a bridge, or a denture. Each has its place, and the right answer is almost never the same for two different patients. Dr Ahmed Al-Baiyaa, who places implants regularly at Atrium Dental in Camberley, explains how he frames the conversation — and why he does not default to an implant for everyone who walks through the door.

The three options, in plain English

Each option solves the same surface-level problem — a gap in the smile — but does so differently.

• An implant is a titanium screw placed in the jawbone, with a crown on top. It is fixed, self-supporting, and behaves like a natural tooth.
• A bridge uses the neighbouring teeth as anchors to support a false tooth in the middle. It is fixed but relies on the teeth either side.
• A denture is a removable appliance that sits over the gum and clips around remaining teeth. It can replace one tooth, several, or a whole arch.

Ahmed’s view is that all three have legitimate uses; the work is in matching the option to the patient, not the other way round.

Why an implant is often — but not always — the strongest single-tooth answer

For a patient missing one tooth, with healthy neighbouring teeth and no complicating risk factors, an implant is usually the most elegant fix. It avoids cutting down healthy teeth to support a bridge, and it avoids the bulk of a removable denture for what is, in the end, a single missing tooth.

“If a patient is missing a single tooth, it would be perhaps more adequate to have an implant than a denture, which is a much bulkier appliance, just to replace a single missing tooth.” — Ahmed Al-Baiyaa

Even here, though, the decision is not automatic. Ahmed looks at the bite, the gum line, the bone, the patient’s medical history, their habits (smoking, grinding), and their finances before settling on a recommendation.

Timing: when a temporary denture is the wiser move

One of the most common misunderstandings is that the implant should be placed as soon as the old tooth is out. In some cases that is true; in many it is not.

“If a patient is having an extraction but is in need of an urgent replacement, putting an implant immediately is not the most wisest option, because it would mean that the bone level and the gum level will actually change after, and it might make it aesthetically unpleasant. I would give them perhaps something like a removable temporary denture, in order to then go away and think about the option of an implant.” — Ahmed Al-Baiyaa

A temporary denture, in this context, is a clinical decision — not a compromise. It maintains the look of the smile, gives the bone and gum a few months to settle into their natural healed position, and means the implant is placed once everything is stable. The end result is better, even if the path takes a little longer.

Finances: a temporary denture can buy time

The other reason to consider a denture, even when the patient wants an implant, is straightforward — cost.

An implant is a significant investment. Patients who want one but are not in a position to pay for it immediately do not need to compromise on the eventual result. A temporary removable denture maintains the smile and function while they plan their finances, after which the implant can be placed properly and the denture set aside.

That option-based, no-pressure approach is part of what Ahmed described as the practice’s philosophy: “we are all about conservative treatment”. The right plan for the patient comes first.

Multiple missing teeth: implants and bridges, working together

One of the most useful clinical points Ahmed makes is that more missing teeth does not always mean more implants. The two can be combined intelligently.

“It doesn’t always mean that the number of teeth missing should equate to the number of implants placed. Sometimes you might have 3 teeth missing, but you could get away with placing two implants linked together via a 3-unit bridge to replace that missing tooth in the middle.” — Ahmed Al-Baiyaa

For a patient with three teeth missing in a row, two carefully placed implants can support a three-tooth bridge between them. The middle tooth is held in mid-air by the two implants either side. It is less surgery, less cost, and clinically just as sound — provided the planning and the bite are right.

This is exactly the sort of decision the digital implant planning at Atrium is built for: working out, in advance, whether two implants can do the work of three.

When an implant is the clear recommendation

For patients who clear the medical history, are non-smokers, do not grind heavily, and have the finances in place, Ahmed is straightforward about what he would advise.

“If a patient is a candidate without any of the risk factors, the medical history is clear, they are not a smoker, and no habits such as grinding or clenching heavily, usually an implant is the most suitable option,” he explains. “If finances are not a problem as well, then I would actually recommend that option.”

That clarity, paired with the willingness to recommend a denture or a bridge when it is the better answer, is what makes the consultation worth having. The aim is not to sell the most expensive treatment — it is to recommend the right one.

How the conversation actually goes at Atrium

The first appointment is a chance to lay out all the options on the table. Ahmed will take digital x-rays, look at the gap, talk through the bite, and ask about the patient’s habits, lifestyle and budget. He will then walk through each route — implant, bridge, denture, or a combination — and what each one would mean in this specific mouth, on this specific timeline.

Patients leave with a plan they understand, and the time to think about it. There is no pressure to decide on the spot. The admin team follows up gently — about once every two weeks — so the conversation can be picked up when the patient is ready.

Talk to us about the right option for you

If you are weighing up an implant, a bridge or a denture for a missing tooth, the most useful next step is a consultation in person — every mouth tells a slightly different story. You can book through the dental implants page or get in touch via the contact page, and we will take it from there.

MEET

Ahmed Al-Baiyaa

Dentist · BDS Hons Lond 2016 · GDC 265488

Dr Ahmed Al-Baiyaa qualified from Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry in 2016 with Honours, earning distinctions in every undergraduate year, ten prestigious academic awards and a nomination for the University of London Gold Medal. He completed his Foundation Training in the North Central London scheme attached to the Eastman Dental Institute, where he was awarded the Health Education England Best Clinical Case prize. In 2017 he passed the Royal College of Surgeons' Membership exams in Edinburgh.

Ahmed has advanced his communication skills working with dental-phobic children and adults in the Special Care Dentistry Department at King's College Hospital, and is a certified sedation dentist who routinely treats highly anxious patients under sedation. He is particularly drawn to oral surgery, with experience across King's College, St George's and Ashford and St Peter's hospitals, and is responsible for complex surgical extractions — including wisdom teeth — at the practice.

In 2025 he completed his three-year MSc in Implant Dentistry at the Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, where he was named Best Overall Student. He prides himself on being compassionate, empathetic and clear in the way he explains treatment — qualities patients consistently mention in their feedback.