Why a missing tooth needs replacing
One missing tooth seems minor, but the jaw does not treat it that way. Within a year the neighbours start tilting into the gap, the opposing tooth over-erupts, and the bite changes. Chewing shifts to one side and those teeth wear faster. Bone in the gap, with no load on it, shrinks; after a few years an implant needs a bone graft first. The earlier you replace the tooth, the simpler and cheaper the solution.
Three families of prosthetics
1. Crowns and bridges (fixed)
What it is: a crown covers your own damaged tooth; a bridge replaces a missing tooth by resting on the two neighbours, which are shaped and crowned.
Pros: fixed, feel like your own teeth, fast (2–3 weeks), no adaptation. Cons: a bridge means grinding healthy neighbours; not possible when many teeth in a row are missing.
Price: crown 190–660 EUR by material; bridge = number of crowns × price. Lifespan: 10–15 years.
2. Removable dentures
What it is: a plate with artificial teeth that you take out and clean yourself. A partial denture clips onto your own teeth; a full denture rests on the gums and palate.
Materials: acrylic (hardest and cheapest), nylon (flexible, no metal clasps, better looking), soft material (for thin, sensitive gums).
Pros: the cheapest way to replace many teeth, no surgery, fast. Cons: 2–4 weeks to adapt, loosens over time as the bone changes, less chewing force than natural teeth.
Price: 300–885 EUR. Lifespan: 5–7 years before replacement.
3. Implant-supported prosthetics
What it is: a titanium screw, the implant, is placed in the bone and a crown, bridge or even a full arch is fixed to it.
Pros: neighbours untouched, bone preserved, feels like your own tooth, lasts longer than any other option. Cons: more expensive, needs surgery and 3–6 months of healing, not suitable with uncontrolled diabetes, severe gum disease or very little bone.
Price: implant 750 EUR + crown 850 EUR. Lifespan: the implant, decades; the crown on it, 10–15 years.
How to choose: a short guide
- One tooth missing, neighbours healthy → implant with crown. If implants are not possible → bridge.
- One tooth missing, neighbours already filled or crowned → a bridge makes sense: the neighbours need crowns anyway.
- 2–4 teeth missing in a row → implant-supported bridge or a partial removable denture.
- Most teeth missing → full removable denture; if you want it to stay put → denture on 2–4 implants.
- Tooth present but damaged → crown; if only part is damaged → inlay or onlay (500 EUR), which keeps more of the tooth.
The final choice depends on the X-ray and the bone, so a consultation (from 20 EUR) with a plan and quote is the first step. The dentist usually offers two options, with and without implants.
Getting used to a removable denture
- Wear it all day for the first days even if uncomfortable; the mouth adapts only with the denture in.
- Eat soft food cut small, chew on both sides at once.
- Read aloud for 10 minutes a day; speech comes back faster.
- Extra saliva and a "foreign body" feeling pass in 1–2 weeks.
- If it rubs or a sore spot appears, come in for an adjustment. Do not file the denture yourself.
Looking after prosthetics
Removable: take it out and rinse after every meal, brush twice a day with a soft brush and denture cleaner (not toothpaste, which is too abrasive). Overnight in water or solution, never dry. Clean your gums and tongue too. Once a year, a check and professional cleaning at the clinic.
Crowns, bridges and implant crowns: like your own teeth, plus an interdental brush or special floss under the bridge and at the crown margin; that is where decay starts on the natural tooth if the crown is not cleaned. Hygiene every six months.
What prosthetics cost in Riga
Laurus Dent plus: crown 190–660 EUR, crown on implant 850 EUR, removable denture 300–885 EUR, consultation from 20 EUR. Full prices and how treatment works on the dental prosthetics page. Book: +371 22428688.