Dental implants are the most advanced option Dentistry has to offer for restoring one or more missing teeth. They are a very conservative treatment (although a surgical one), since the adjacent teeth do not need to be prepared, as they would be in the case of a bridge. In straightforward cases, a minor half-hour procedure is required, with minimal pain. From the second day onwards a painkiller is usually not even needed, and after waiting the appropriate period for the implant to osseointegrate (usually 2 months for the mandible and 4 months for the maxilla), a porcelain prosthetic restoration is made.

In many cases immediate placement and loading of the implant is indicated, mainly for anterior teeth. That is, on the day the tooth is extracted the implant is placed and a temporary restoration is fitted to it straight away, until the period required for osseointegration has passed and the permanent prosthetic work can then be fitted.

Patients who have lost their teeth and wear complete dentures often have problems with poor retention. In these cases, placing two implants (for the mandible) or four (for the maxilla) can significantly increase the retention of the denture, and therefore the patient's comfort, without the considerable cost required for fixed implant-supported restorations (bridges). In the maxilla it also becomes possible to make a denture that leaves the palate uncovered.

The stages followed in an implant-supported restoration are as follows:

1. Pre-operative assessment: the medical history is reviewed and the adequacy of the jaw bone is evaluated. At least 6 millimetres of bone in width and 9 millimetres in height are required in order to place an implant. On the basis of the clinical and radiographic measurements, the number and position of the implants to be placed are determined, as well as whether any jaw bone augmentation technique is needed.
2. Implant placement procedure: this is carried out under local anaesthesia at the practice. The implants are placed in the positions decided at the pre-operative assessment. There follows a waiting period ranging from 2-6 months so that the implant osseointegrates (so that the implant «bonds» with the jaw bone).
3. Once the waiting period has passed, a radiographic check of the implants is carried out to confirm that osseointegration is complete, and their exposure follows. According to the research, success rates are of the order of 95-97%.
4. Two – four weeks after exposure of the implants, impressions are taken of them and the permanent prosthetic restoration is made.

Partial absence of teeth

Where one or more teeth are missing, the number of implants required will depend on weighing up various factors:

1. The number of missing teeth. For one or two missing teeth, a corresponding number of implants will be placed. The greater the number of missing teeth, the lower the tooth-to-implant ratio becomes; for example, replacing four or even five teeth usually requires three implants.
2. Assessment of the occlusal forces exerted within the mouth.
3. The adequacy of bone at the desired positions where the implants will be placed. It is often difficult to place the implants exactly where we would wish, so some changes to the plan are required, which may also affect the number of implants placed.

Complete absence of teeth

Where all the teeth in a jaw are missing, the treatment plan is arranged as follows:

1. In the mandible, 2 implants are usually placed for a removable restoration (a «clip-on» denture) or 5 implants for a fixed bridge.
2. In the maxilla, 4-6 implants are needed respectively