There are many options available to replace teeth. When a front tooth is lost in an accident, such as when playing a sport or in a car, time can be a major concern. Dentists can replace a tooth very quickly by fabricating a single tooth denture often called a flipper. A flipper is much like an orthodontic retainer with one or two teeth; it may have a couple of wire clips that hold it onto other teeth. Flippers are easy to wear and care for, and they repair the patient’s appearance. Most people are not happy with their ability to chew with the flipper in place, so they remove it when eating. Some have trouble talking with the flipper at first, but speech improves with practice. This is the least expensive way to replace a tooth. Some patients will live with a flipper for years before replacing it with a more permanent false tooth or another flipper.

A newer technique to rapidly replace a missing tooth is by bonding a denture tooth or the avulsed or lost tooth to the teeth on either side. The supporting teeth are the abutments and the false tooth is the pontic. This procedure will last from months to a few years depending on how the dentist attaches the replacement tooth. Usually, this procedure will cost more than a flipper, perhaps two to four times more.