Why is it enough sometimes for 4 implants to hold a bridge of 12 teeth and other times it’s needed to put 6 implants for the same amount of crowns?
The answer is more complex than one might think. The amount of implants for the full reconstruction is determined by the implantologist based on the 3D CT scan. There the doctor can see the quality and the quantity of the bone. All the implants need to be fully covered in bone in order to be strong enough to hold the arch.
Generally, there is always more bone in the lower jaw, that´s why there is enough also fewer implants.
Of course, there is no need to panic in case you suffer from bone loss, we still have a solution for you! During the implant surgery, the doctor puts bone to the places of the implant – screw´s. Bone grafts do not present rejection problems such as organ transplants and dentists will, in most cases, use your own bone and won’t need replacement bone. A membrane is placed over the area of bone healing and it serves as a protective barrier which prevents rapidly growing soft tissue from invading the space that should be occupied by the slowly in growing bone.
The amount of the bone graft is determined during the initial consultation with the implantologist based on the 3D CT scan. The healing period for the bone graft is also about 3 months. Generally in the lower jaw 4 implants can hold an arch of 12 crowns, and in the upper jaw, it´s mostly 5 or more implants.
