A dental bridge for one missing tooth costs £750-£2,400 in the UK. A dental implant for the same gap runs £1,800-£3,800.
That makes bridges look like the obvious choice - they cost half as much upfront. But bridges last 5-15 years while implants typically last 25+ years with proper care. Over 25 years, you'll replace a bridge 2-3 times at £750-£2,400 each time. Total cost: £1,500-£7,200. The implant: £1,800-£3,800, done once.
The math clearly favors implants for long-term value, but bridges still make financial sense in specific situations. Here's when each option actually makes sense and why the cheaper choice frequently costs more.
The Immediate Cost Reality
A 3-unit bridge (replacing one tooth) costs £750-£2,400 depending on materials. Metal bridges sit at £750-£1,200. Porcelain-fused-to-metal runs £1,000-£1,800. All-ceramic or zirconia bridges hit £1,500-£2,400.
A single tooth implant including fixture, abutment, and crown costs £1,800-£3,800. Budget implants with basic crowns start at £1,800-£2,200. Premium Swiss-made implants with zirconia crowns reach £3,200-£3,800.
For multiple missing teeth, the cost difference narrows dramatically. A 4-unit bridge (two teeth) costs £1,000-£3,200. Two individual implants run £3,600-£7,600. But implant-supported bridges use 2 implants supporting 3-4 teeth at £4,700-£6,500 total, costing less than individual implants while avoiding bridge limitations.
The upfront cost advantage clearly favors bridges. Where bridges become expensive is replacement cycles over decades.
The Hidden Cost: Abutment Tooth Damage
Bridges require grinding down healthy teeth on both sides of the gap to serve as anchors. You permanently damage two good teeth to replace one missing tooth.
Those abutment teeth now carry increased stress from supporting the bridge's weight and chewing forces. They develop decay, fracture, or require root canals at higher rates than teeth not supporting bridges.
When an abutment tooth fails, the entire bridge fails. Replacing it requires either a new larger bridge spanning more teeth (more expensive) or extracting the failed abutment and switching to implants anyway (much more expensive).
Implants don't touch adjacent teeth. The implant sits in the gap, carrying its own load independently. Neighboring teeth remain untouched and function normally.
That structural difference determines long-term costs more than initial pricing. Bridges create additional dental work over time. Implants don't.
Lifespan Differences That Change the Economics
Bridges last 5-15 years depending on materials, care quality, and how much stress they endure. Metal bridges last longest at 10-15 years. Porcelain-fused-to-metal averages 8-12 years. All-ceramic bridges run 5-10 years.
Implants typically last 25+ years, with many functioning for life. The titanium fixture fuses with bone permanently. The crown on top needs replacing every 15-20 years at £500-£1,200, but the implant itself remains.
Over 25 years with a bridge: initial placement £750-£2,400, replacement at year 8 (£750-£2,400), replacement at year 16 (£750-£2,400), plus crown replacements on abutment teeth (£500-£1,200 each). Total: £2,750-£8,400.
Over 25 years with an implant: initial placement £1,800-£3,800, crown replacement at year 15 (£500-£1,200). Total: £2,300-£5,000.
The implant costs less long-term despite higher upfront pricing. This math assumes everything goes perfectly with the bridge - no abutment tooth problems requiring additional work.
When Bridges Actually Make Financial Sense
If the adjacent teeth already need crowns anyway, a bridge makes perfect sense. You're crowning those teeth regardless, so using them to support a bridge costs minimal extra.
For people over 70 with limited life expectancy, a bridge lasting 8-12 years might outlive them. Paying £1,200 for a bridge beats £3,000 for an implant when you don't need 25-year longevity.
If you can't afford the implant upfront and financing isn't available, a £1,000 bridge solves the immediate problem. Having replacement teeth beats waiting years to save for implants.
For temporary solutions while awaiting implant placement after tooth extraction, bridges can fill the gap during the 3-6 month healing period before implants can be placed.
The Bone Loss Factor Nobody Mentions Upfront
Missing teeth cause jawbone deterioration where the tooth root used to stimulate bone tissue. Bridges don't address this - they sit on top of gums without engaging the bone.
After 5-10 years with a bridge, significant bone loss occurs beneath it. This changes your facial structure, creating a sunken appearance around the missing tooth area. More critically, it makes future implant placement difficult or impossible without expensive bone grafting.
Implants prevent bone loss by providing the same mechanical stimulation natural tooth roots provide. The titanium post fuses with jawbone, maintaining bone density permanently.
If you choose a bridge initially and want implants later, severe bone loss might require grafting at £400-£1,200 per site before implants can be placed. That adds £400-£1,200 to future implant costs that wouldn't exist if you'd chosen implants initially.
Maryland Bridges: The Exception to Bridge Rules
Maryland bridges (resin-bonded bridges) cost £350-£1,000 and don't require grinding down adjacent teeth. Metal or porcelain wings bond to the back of neighboring teeth using adhesive.
These work well for front teeth with minimal chewing stress. They don't work for back teeth where heavy chewing forces break the adhesive bond.
Maryland bridges last 5-8 years and fail more frequently than conventional bridges, but they don't damage adjacent teeth. When they fail, switching to implants remains straightforward because neighboring teeth haven't been ground down.
For young patients whose facial growth hasn't completed (under 21), Maryland bridges provide temporary solutions until implants become appropriate. The low cost and reversibility make them ideal for temporary replacement.
Implant-Supported Bridges: The Middle Ground
Implant-supported bridges use 2 implants to support 3-4 replacement teeth at £4,700-£6,500 total. This costs less than 3-4 individual implants (£5,400-£15,200) while avoiding conventional bridge limitations.
The implants engage jawbone preventing bone loss. No adjacent teeth require grinding. The prosthetic lasts as long as implant crowns (15-20 years) rather than bridge lifespans (5-15 years).
For multiple adjacent missing teeth, implant-supported bridges provide the best combination of cost-effectiveness and longevity. They're more expensive than conventional bridges but dramatically cheaper than individual implants for each tooth.
This option makes particular sense for 3-4 adjacent missing teeth where individual implants would exceed £10,000 but implant-supported bridges deliver similar benefits at £5,000-£7,000.
The Surgery and Timeline Differences
Bridge placement requires no surgery. The dentist prepares adjacent teeth, takes impressions, fits a temporary bridge, then cements the permanent bridge 2-3 weeks later. Total timeline: 3-4 weeks.
Implant placement requires minor surgery to insert the titanium post into jawbone. Healing takes 3-6 months as bone fuses with the implant (osseointegration). Then the crown gets attached. Total timeline: 4-7 months.
For people needing immediate tooth replacement for work or social reasons, bridges deliver faster results. Implants require patience but deliver superior long-term outcomes.
The surgery fear factor drives many people toward bridges despite inferior long-term value. Modern implant surgery uses local anesthetic and causes less discomfort than tooth extraction. Most patients report minimal pain during healing.
NHS Versus Private Costs
NHS bridges fall under Band 3 treatment at £326.70 (England, April 2025). NHS implants aren't available except for cancer patients, severe trauma cases, or congenital conditions affecting fewer than 1% of patients.
NHS bridges use adequate materials but offer no choice in aesthetics or materials. Private bridges provide metal, porcelain-fused-to-metal, or all-ceramic options matched precisely to your natural teeth.
For patients who qualify for NHS bridges, the cost advantage is overwhelming. £327 versus £750-£2,400 privately makes the decision simple. NHS waiting times run 3-6 months versus 2-4 weeks privately.
The NHS doesn't cover implants, making private treatment the only option. Some people choose NHS bridges initially despite knowing implants would be better long-term simply because £327 is affordable while £3,000 isn't.
Maintenance Cost Patterns
Bridges require professional cleaning underneath at every hygienist appointment. Special floss threaders or water flossers access the gap between the bridge and gums. Poor cleaning causes gum disease around abutment teeth.
Implant crowns clean like natural teeth using regular flossing. No special equipment or technique required beyond normal oral hygiene.
Abutment teeth supporting bridges need monitoring for decay and fractures. This typically requires additional X-rays at checkups to visualize underneath crowns. Implants need similar X-ray monitoring for bone levels.
The cleaning difficulty with bridges means higher risk of problems developing between checkups. Implants' simpler maintenance reduces long-term complications requiring expensive correction.
When Medical Conditions Rule Out Implants
Uncontrolled diabetes, heavy smoking (20+ cigarettes daily), and certain bone diseases reduce implant success rates below 85%. For these patients, bridges provide reliable alternatives.
Bone density issues make implant placement difficult or impossible without extensive grafting. Severe osteoporosis or previous radiation therapy to the jaw can rule out implants entirely.
Patients taking bisphosphonate medications for osteoporosis face increased risk of jaw necrosis from implant surgery. Bridges avoid this complication entirely.
These medical contraindications are relatively rare but when they apply, bridges become the only viable option regardless of cost considerations.
The Insurance and Finance Reality
Dental insurance rarely covers implants, categorizing them as cosmetic. Insurance sometimes covers bridges at 50-70% if deemed medically necessary rather than cosmetic.
Most practices offer 0% APR financing over 12-24 months for implants. A £3,000 implant becomes £125-£250 monthly with zero interest. Longer terms of 36-60 months carry 7-10% APR adding £450-£900 to total costs.
Bridges cost less upfront so financing is less frequently necessary. When needed, similar financing terms apply - 0% for 12-24 months, interest-bearing for longer terms.
The financing availability makes implants accessible to people who couldn't afford £3,000 upfront but can manage £150 monthly. This narrows the cost gap between options considerably.
Regional Price Variations
London bridge costs: £1,000-£2,400, implants £2,500-£4,500. Manchester bridges: £750-£1,800, implants £2,000-£3,500. Birmingham bridges: £700-£1,500, implants £1,800-£3,200.
Edinburgh pricing exceeds London for both procedures. Edinburgh bridges reach £1,200-£2,600, implants £2,800-£5,000. Scotland's generally lower costs don't apply in Edinburgh's limited-dentist market.
Northern England offers the UK's best value for both procedures. Newcastle bridges: £650-£1,400, implants £1,800-£3,000. The price advantage applies equally to both options.
Enfield practices typically charge £800-£1,400 for bridges and £2,200-£3,400 for implants. That's 10-15% below central London without quality differences.
The Bottom Line on Bridges Versus Implants
Dental bridges cost £750-£2,400 for one missing tooth versus implants at £1,800-£3,800. Bridges appear cheaper initially but require replacement every 5-15 years while implants last 25+ years.
Over 25 years, bridges cost £2,750-£8,400 total with multiple replacements and potential abutment tooth problems. Implants cost £2,300-£5,000 total with one crown replacement. The expensive option saves money long-term.
Bridges make financial sense when adjacent teeth already need crowns, for patients over 70 with limited life expectancy, or when implant financing isn't available. Implants deliver superior value for everyone else.
Maryland bridges at £350-£1,000 provide temporary solutions for young patients or front teeth with minimal chewing stress. Implant-supported bridges at £4,700-£6,500 offer the best economics for 3-4 adjacent missing teeth.
Medical contraindications like uncontrolled diabetes or bisphosphonate use rule out implants for some patients. Bridges provide reliable alternatives when implants aren't medically viable.
NHS bridges at £326.70 beat any private option on price but offer no choice in materials or aesthetics. NHS implants aren't available except for rare medical cases affecting fewer than 1% of patients.