Blog - Lafayette, CA

Tips, Facts, And The
Latest In Dentistry

dental blog graphic

How Many Teeth can I have Replaced with Dental Implants?

prosthodontist lafayette ca

prosthodontist lafayette ca

Thankfully, we don’t lose all of your teeth at once. And conversely, you don’t have to replace them all at once. Dental implants are the top solution for replacing many teeth, and for good reasons. With dental implants, you can replace a single tooth, several of them or all of them. Get a better understanding of how dental implants and replacement teeth work by comparing use cases for replacing a single tooth, several of them or all of them.

Replacing a Single Tooth

A single dental implant can bridge the gap between two teeth, providing much more realistic esthetic and function than the more affordable dental bridges. While dental bridges work by anchoring a replacement tooth to two healthy teeth, dental implants replace natural teeth by acting like natural teeth.

For a single dental implant, the mouth is numbed with anesthesia, the gums are pulled back and a dental drill is used to bore a small hole into the jawbone underneath. From there, the implant post is inserted into the borehole. The abutment, a connector of sorts, is then attached to the implant posts. A temporary crown goes onto the abutment until the implant has healed and is ready for the permanent dental crown.

Replacing Several Teeth

For replacing more teeth that aren’t neighbors, single dental implants may be installed for each missing tooth. If you have several missing teeth, all from one area of the mouth, you can get a dental bridge that’s anchored to just two dental implants.

Getting Full Mouth Dental Implants

The more teeth you need to replace, the more economical your options for dental implants will be. For example, the popular All on 4® system for dental implants entails using just four dental implants to support a full row of teeth – eight total implants for a full mouth of replacement teeth.

All on 4 dental implants offer much more support than conventional dentures. For maximum support, you may get up to eight implants per row of teeth with dental bridges anchored to them.

Talk with a Prosthodontist in Lafayette, CA

Take a moment to schedule a consultation with a local dentist to learn more about your options for getting dental implants in Lafayette, CA.