All the common forms of tooth replacement, such as bridges or dentures can be replaced by dental implants. If you are missing just one natural tooth, then one dental implant is normally all that will be needed to provide a replacement. Larger spaces created by two, three or more missing teeth do not necessarily need one dental implant per tooth, however the exact number of implants will depend upon the quality and volume of bone at each potential dental implant site.

Occasionally, it is even possible to join natural teeth to implants with a conventional bridge thus saving the expense of an additional implant.

In the upper jaw, bone density is generally poorer than in the lower and if you have no teeth at all, most treatment providers will want to place a minimum of 8 implants to support a complete arch of 12 or more replacement teeth. In the lower jaw, the bone towards the front of the mouth is often very strong and as a direct result, fewer dental implants may be needed than are required to treat a whole upper jaw.