Can You Get Braces If You Have Missing Teeth?

A lot of adults assume orthodontics is off the table once a tooth is gone. In practice, it’s often the step that makes replacing that tooth possible. When neighbouring teeth have leaned into a gap for years, there may not be room for an implant or a natural-looking bridge.

Many adults prefer a less visible route. Clear aligners like Invisalign can handle most gap-closing and space-opening cases, with a small tooth-coloured pontic added to the aligner so you don’t see the gap during treatment.

Once teeth are in position, the space can be filled with dental implants, which stand on their own without touching neighbouring teeth. If an implant isn’t right for you, a fixed dental bridge is a well-proven alternative.

Coverage questions come up a lot too. If you’re a CDCP member, the clinic’s CDCP dental services team can tell you what parts of your plan may apply. The first step is an orthodontic assessment at Smart Care Dental to see which approach fits your bite.

What happens to your teeth when one goes missing?

When a tooth is lost, the teeth around it gradually move into the space and the opposing tooth can drift up or down into the gap. This doesn’t happen overnight. It usually takes months to years, but it’s steady.

• Tipping: neighbouring teeth lean toward the gap
• Over-eruption: the tooth above or below grows out of its socket with nothing to bite against
• Bite changes: teeth start meeting differently, which can strain the jaw
• Food traps: tipped teeth create spaces that are hard to clean
• Bone loss: the jaw shrinks where the root used to be

Why do people have missing teeth before orthodontic treatment?

Close the gap or keep the space?

This is the big planning decision. Both can work. The right choice depends on your bite, your face and which tooth is missing.

Congenitally missing lateral incisors

A classic example. One option is moving the canines forward into the lateral spot and reshaping them. The other is holding space for future implants once growth is complete, often in the late teens or early 20s. Both have pros and cons for appearance and long-term gum health, and they’re worth discussing in detail.

Braces or clear aligners with missing teeth: which is better?

Neither is “better” for everyone. Discipline matters with aligners, while braces suit some complex movements. Your orthodontic records decide.

Can you get an implant before braces?

Usually it’s the other way round. Implants are fused to bone and can’t be moved with braces. If one goes in first, everything else has to be planned around it.

There’s one exception. Sometimes an implant (or a small temporary anchorage screw) is used on purpose as a fixed anchor to help move other teeth. That’s carefully planned in advance.

The usual order looks like this:

1. Gum and tooth health check, cleaning and any fillings
2. Orthodontic records: photos, scans and X-rays
3. Treatment plan: close the gap or open space
4. Braces or aligners, with a temporary tooth in the gap if it’s visible
5. Retainer to hold the position
6. Implant or bridge placed once roots are in their final position
7. Final crown and long-term retainer wear

How long does treatment take?

Most adult cases with missing teeth take somewhere between 12 and 24 months of tooth movement. Closing a large back gap can take longer, because roots have to move through bone. Opening space for one front implant is often quicker.

Implant healing adds 3 to 6 months after orthodontics, though a temporary tooth means you’re never left with a visible gap.

Who might not be ready for braces yet?

• People with active gum disease. Moving teeth in inflamed gums speeds up bone loss
• Untreated cavities or infections
• Very loose teeth that need stabilizing first
• Children whose jaws are still growing, if implants are part of the plan (space can be held until growth finishes)

Myths about braces and missing teeth

• “You’re too old for braces.” Healthy teeth can be moved at any age. Many patients are in their 40s, 50s and beyond.
• “Missing teeth mean braces won’t work.” Gaps are often what orthodontics fixes best.
• “Braces are painful for months.” Expect a few days of soreness after each adjustment or new aligner. Over-the-counter pain relief usually handles it.
• “A bridge can fix crooked teeth too.” A bridge can hide minor issues, but crowning crooked teeth removes healthy tooth structure that orthodontics could have saved.

Real-life examples

Common mistakes

• Getting an implant before checking if orthodontics is needed
• Waiting years after an extraction, letting teeth tip into the gap
• Skipping retainers after treatment
• Choosing DIY aligners for a case with gaps
• Not treating gum disease first

Tips for success during treatment

1. Wear aligners 20 to 22 hours a day, or keep braces appointments on schedule.
2. Brush after meals and clean around brackets or attachments carefully.
3. Use a water flosser or interdental brushes near gaps.
4. Avoid hard, sticky foods with braces.
5. Wear retainers exactly as instructed. Teeth near old gaps love to drift back.

What happens at your first orthodontic consultation?

1. Your goals. You’ll talk about what bothers you: the gap, crowding, bite, or how your smile looks in photos.
2. Health check. Gums, existing fillings and crowns, and any teeth that might need work before movement starts.
3. Records. A 3D digital scan replaces the old goopy impressions. Photos and X-rays show root positions and bone around the gap.
4. Bite analysis. How your upper and lower teeth meet, and whether closing the gap would throw that off.
5. Digital preview. For aligner cases, a simulation shows how your teeth could move step by step, including where the replacement tooth will sit.
6. Options and timeline. Close the gap or keep space, braces or aligners, and roughly how long each would take.
7. Coverage questions. The team checks what insurance or CDCP benefits may apply before you commit.

What about bone loss in the gap?

After a tooth is removed, the jaw bone in that spot shrinks. Most of that loss happens in the first year. It matters for orthodontics in 2 ways.

First, teeth can only be moved through bone. If the ridge has become very thin, closing a gap fully may not be possible without risk to the roots.

Second, an implant needs enough bone width and height to be placed safely. If the gap has been empty for years, a bone graft may be needed before or during implant placement. That’s one more reason not to leave a gap too long.

How do implants and bridges compare after orthodontics?

For younger patients whose jaws are still growing, a bonded “Maryland” bridge or a retainer with a false tooth is often used as a bridge-in-time until an implant can be placed.

Where can you start in Concord?

Smart Care Dental is a trusted dental clinic in Concord and Vaughan with a complete range of family, cosmetic and restorative care, so orthodontics, implants and bridges can all be planned together. The clinic is a Certified Invisalign provider, which is good news if you’re searching for an Invisalign provider Concord patients recommend.

New patients and CDCP patients are welcome, and extended evening and weekend hours suit busy families and students. Call +1 905-738-4970, email info@smartcaredental.ca, or book through https://smartcaredental.ca/. The clinic is located in Concord, Vaughan, ON, and the team will walk you through each option before anything begins.

Frequently asked questions