Many dentists recommend dental implants to restore the aesthetics, function, and health of a patient’s smile after tooth loss. These custom-made fixtures replace teeth both above and below the gumline for optimal benefits, including longevity. Implants can last for twenty years or longer with good care and maintenance.
Tooth loss affects everyone differently. To ensure all patients can restore their smiles effectively, dentists offer various kinds of implants to suit their unique needs. If a patient loses more than one tooth in different quadrants of the mouth, they can still see full smile restoration using multiple dental implants.
A dentist will discuss your specific implant treatment plan with you when you book a dental consultation. But you can learn how your smile can benefit from more than one implant when you read on.
Types of Dental Implants
As mentioned, a dentist can recommend multiple types of dental implants to cater to a patient’s specific oral health goals. You can choose one or more of these implants to complete your tooth replacement treatment in the way that suits you. You and your dentist can consider the following options when replacing missing teeth with implants:
- Single dental implant: replaces one lost tooth and relies on one titanium post anchor to support a dental crown prosthetic.
- Implant-supported dental bridge: can replace three or more teeth in a row using two anchors that support each end of a dental bridge prosthetic.
- All-on-Four dental implant: four anchors sustain a full arch of missing teeth.
These implants can be secured to the top or bottom arches of the mouth according to your restorative dental goals. Discover your eligibility for multiple dental implants by scheduling a dental evaluation today.
Placement Process for Multiple Dental Implants
Some people may worry that receiving multiple dental implants will prove significantly longer or more invasive than one implant. But your dentist can give you as many implanted anchors as you need for the fixtures you need in one oral surgery. This way, you can receive more than one implant at once, cutting costs and recovery time for multiple procedures.
Whether you receive one or several dental implants, you can still anticipate several months of downtime as you heal from this anchor placement treatment. The anchors need time to fuse with the jawbone to establish the foundation that supports the rest of the implant. Then you return to your dentist to secure custom-made dental prosthetics to the anchors after this time.
Implants rely on the fusion of the anchor to the jawbone. So your dentist will want to ensure you have enough healthy jawbone and gum tissue for this process to occur successfully. If you intend to receive more than one implant, you will need to retain enough stability in the jaw and gums for this to happen. Dentists will use x-ray imaging to ensure you qualify for implant dentistry.