Brigde of Implants

by Eddy
(Brandon, Florida, answer by the Dentist)

Dental implants are getting better and better, and a bridge of implants is now a good alternative to a full upper prothesis. Eddy from Florida has a question about brigde of implants:

Can one use implants to make a bridge? If so, how many implants would it take for the entire mouth?

Dear Eddy,
Thank you for submitting a question about bridge of implants. When it comes to the number of implants , it depends on how many teeth you want to have in your jaws. For elderly people, 10 teeth per jaw can be enough, that is, 5 teeth on each side of the midline. For middle aged people, 12 or 14 teeth is appropriate, and for younger people, a higher number of teeth is often necessary. This is due to function and also what is socially excepted in the society. Nevertheless, the number of teeth - and of implants - depends on a lot of factors; the age of the patient, the medical condition, the jaw relations, the importance of aesthetics, and of course, economy and insurance coverage. The number of teeth is often higher than the number of implants. 4 or 6 implants can be enough for a whole jaw. This will become a brigde of implants; that is, the implants will be put in 4 or 6 locations; equal number of each side of the midline, and the dentist will make a full brigde over these. However, for the number of implants to make a full brigde of implants in your case should be discussed with your dentist. This way you can ensure that you get the best treatment for your condition.

Good luck with your brigde of implants!