With dental implants, it is possible to replace just a single tooth, multiple adjacent teeth, or even a full upper or lower jaw of teeth.
How are different numbers of missing teeth replaced by dental implants?
If you are missing just one or two individual teeth, each can be replaced by an individual implant, abutment, and crown. This is true whether the teeth are adjacent or not.
Three or four adjacent missing teeth can be replaced with two implants, two abutments, and three or four artificial teeth (respectively) in the form of a three- or four-unit bridge, attached to the abutment.
6-7 missing teeth can be replaced with 3 implants, 8-10 missing teeth with 4-5 implants, and 9-10 missing teeth require 4-6 implants. To replace a whole upper or lower jaw of teeth (that’s 14 teeth altogether), no more than 8 implants are usually necessary.
Keep in mind that the above numbers are just guidelines; the number of implants you ultimately receive also depends on the volume of bone in your jaw.
People with small jaw bones and individuals who have experienced bone loss as a result of having missing teeth for a longer period of time may require a bone graft procedure in order to place the required number of implants effectively.
