Single or Multiple Implants
Options available for dental implants.
Single Tooth
Single tooth dental implants work by placing 1 implant into the bone and then several months later attaching a crown onto that implant. This is a highly successful procedure and the tooth is made from a very strong ceramic that looks natural and is resilient enough to withstand the forces of chewing and eating.
Having a dental implant to replace a single tooth means not having to drill away sections of the adjacent teeth for a bridge. And it is fixed in placed when complete so no need to ever remove it unlike a denture.
Multiple Teeth
When several teeth in a row are missing then it may be possible to support a bridge on dental implants. The most common example is when 3 teeth are missing, 2 implants are placed to support a bridge that consists of 3 teeth and fully closes the gap. This has the same advantages as the single tooth implant and is conservative for the natural teeth which again don`t need to be prepared. Larger bridges may need more than 2 implants depending on the size of the gap and number of teeth missing, as well as some other factors.