How many dental implants should I get?

This is a question we often get from patients at our Barcelona dental clinic, which is why we want to share the answer with our online readers as well:

• If you’re missing just one tooth or molar, the answer is: ONLY ONE DENTAL IMPLANT.
• If you’re missing two teeth that are close together, the answer is: TWO DENTAL IMPLANTS.
• If you’re missing three teeth in a row, you can get an implant-supported bridge of three crowns attached to two implants or place three implants and three crowns if the bone is inadequate.
• If you’re missing four teeth in a row, two or three dental implants are usually enough to support four teeth.
• If you’re missing all of your teeth in one of your jaws it will depend on whether it is the upper or lower jaw and if you want a fixed or removable prosthesis:

In the upper jaw: at least eight implants are needed if you want a porcelain-fixed prosthesis. However, if the prosthesis is bonded using resin (hybrid prosthesis) a minimum of only six implants is required. If you prefer a removable prosthesis (overdenture) at least four implants will be needed.

In the lower jaw: at least eight implants are needed if you want a porcelain-fixed prosthesis, while only six are required if you want a prosthesis bonded with resin (hybrid). And if you opt for a removable denture (overdenture) a minimum of two implants are required.

We hope this has helped answer some of your questions. And stay tuned! We will discuss the differences between fixed, hybrid and removable implant prostheses in the next article.