Home / Implant-Supported Bridges
Implant-supported bridge
Four teeth back
on two implants.
When several teeth in a row are missing, one implant per tooth is rarely necessary and often not even desirable. Two well-placed implants can carry a span of three or four teeth — fewer surgical sites, less bone required, and a lower total fee.
Why people come here
- Surgery and the finished teeth done by one dentist, under one roof
- Diplomate of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists
- Fellow of the Misch Institute — and faculty at its successor
- A written, itemized plan before anything is scheduled
How it works
Two anchors, one rigid span.
An implant bridge is one piece of ceramic carrying three or four teeth, attached to an implant at each end. The teeth in the middle are called pontics — they have no implant under them and sit just clear of the gum so you can clean beneath them.
Because the bridge is rigid and anchored at both ends, the chewing load is shared between the two implants rather than concentrated on one. That is why two implants can safely carry four teeth, and why crowding four implants into the same space is often the worse plan.
When individual implants are better
If the missing teeth are not adjacent, or if the span is long and the bone is soft, separate implants each with their own crown are the more predictable answer. This is a judgment made from the imaging, not from a price list.
Side by side
Bridge or individual implants.
| Implant bridge | Individual implants | |
|---|---|---|
| Implants for four teeth | 2 | 3–4 |
| Surgical sites | Fewer | More |
| Relative cost | Lower | Higher |
| Cleaning | Under the pontics, with a threader or water flosser | Around each crown |
| If one unit fails | The bridge is affected | Only that tooth is affected |
| Bone required | Only at the two anchor sites | At every site |
Practical notes
Three things to ask about.
Cleaning underneath
A pontic sits just above the gum. You will use a floss threader or a water flosser under it — and you will be shown exactly how before you leave.
Screw-retained or cemented
Screw-retained bridges can be removed by the dentist for maintenance without destroying anything. Where the angulation allows it, that is usually the better long-term choice.
The span length
Longer spans flex more. Beyond four units, a third implant or a different design is normally the right call.
Questions
Implant bridges, answered.
Is it removable?
Not by you. An implant bridge is fixed — it stays in your mouth. It can be removed in the office when it is screw-retained, which makes long-term maintenance far easier.
Can it replace a traditional bridge I already have?
Often yes, and it is a common reason people come in. A conventional bridge that has failed usually takes its supporting teeth with it, and implants then become the way to rebuild the span without asking anything of the remaining teeth.
What does it cost compared with single implants?
Meaningfully less for the same number of teeth, because you are paying for fewer implants and fewer surgical appointments. You will get both options costed on the same written estimate.
Start with an exam and a straight answer.
A consultation includes an examination, 3D imaging and a written, itemized plan. If implants are not the right treatment for you, Dr. Patellis will say so and tell you what is.