What happens when a patients needs implants for more than one tooth? If the teeth are adjacent to one another, does each tooth get an implant and crown of its own? Can two teeth share a common dental implant? These are some of the most common questions we get asked here at RunRex and today, we want to address them in this blog post.
Sometimes patients lose more than one tooth in accidents or through infections. In such a scenario where a patient loses more than one tooth, dentists can use a single implant to replace the missing teeth. Through careful positioning, an implant can support more than one crown and effectively replace two teeth. The choice of the number of the implants required to replace the missing teeth, will depend on the following factors;
Factors affecting the number of implants required to replace multiple missing teeth
Gum condition
The state of the gums will determine the number of implants that one will need to replace his/her missing teeth. People with gum diseases and diminished jaw bones, normally require fewer implants to replace multiple missing teeth.
The weaker the jawbone, the less the number of implants it can harbor. If a patient needs to replace two or more teeth therefore, a single implant is strategically placed and a wide bridge placed over the new implants.
Consistency of the bone mass
The other factor that affects the number of implants required to replace missing teeth, is the consistency of the bone mass. Some people’s bone mass is very inconsistent and this means that multiple implants can’t be evenly placed on the jaw bone.
In such cases, a single implant is placed carefully at a strategic location and this implant helps to hold the two crowns or bonded bridge into position.
Number and position of missing teeth
The number of implants will also be determined by the number and position of missing teeth. If the missing teeth are two for example, then a single implant can effectively hold a bonded bridge which can replace the two teeth. For a single implant to be used however, the two missing teeth need to be adjacent to one another. If the missing teeth are not next to one another, then each replacement tooth will need an individual implant.
Form and function of the missing teeth
The other factor that will directly affect the number of implants used to replace the missing teeth, is the form and function of the missing teeth. Front teeth for example, are required for tearing food and biting into foods. This means that they need to be strong and stable. When replacing missing front teeth therefore, special attention has to be paid to the stability of the implants and crowns used for aesthetic purposes. The more the implants, the more stable the resulting set of teeth.
As for molars and the other back teeth, a lot of the focus is on the function and the aesthetics don’t matter per se. This is why it is very easy to replace multiple back teeth. As few as two implants can be used to replace the entire set of missing back teeth.
So, what are the advantages of replacing multiple teeth with fewer implants?
Advantages of replacing multiple implants with fewer implants
Quicker healing time
The fewer the implants, the quicker the healing time. If implants can be strategically be placed to replace multiple teeth, it will save the patient a lot of time because he will heal faster and chances of complications will be minimized significantly.
Less expensive
It goes without saying that fewer implants will mean a cheaper procedure. This does not however mean that patients should go demanding for fewer implants in an effort to reduce the amount of money they pay for their implant surgeries.
Less bone mass required
The fewer the number of implants, the lesser the bone mass required. This favors people with diminished jawbones and those with gum infections which have resulted in inconsistent bone mass. In such cases, dentists almost invariably opt for fewer implants to help eliminate the need for grafting and sinus lifting procedures.
If you are looking for the best replacements for multiple teeth here in Bellevue, look no further than RunRex’s way. With the help of our team of massively experienced dentists and other professionals, we offer a wide range of dental implant options and will easily and seamlessly replace your multiple missing teeth.
Before settling on the appropriate number of implants required to replace your missing teeth, our dentists conduct extensive examinations to ascertain the ideal number of implants required for your particular case.