How many teeth can be supported by implants?

All the common types of tooth replacement, such as dentures and bridges can be replaced by dental implants. If you are missing only one natural tooth, then normally one implant is all that you need to provide a replacement. Spaces that are larger (created by 2 or 3 missing teeth) do not necessarily require one implant per tooth, the exact number of implants however, will depend on the quality and volume of the bone at each potential implant site.

On occasion, it is possible to attach implants to normal teeth using a conventional bridge.

In the upper jaw, the density of bone is usually poorer than in the lower and, if you have no teeth at all, most treatment providers will want to place a minimum of 6 implants to support a complete arch of 10 or more replacement teeth.

Contrary to that, in the lower jaw, especially towards the front of the mouth is often very strong. As a direct result, fewer implants may be needed than are required to treat a whole upper jaw. A treatment plan to provide 10 teeth or more in the lower jaw may require as few as 4 implants. It is still possible to use 5 or 6.