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Missing Teeth Treatments

Implant-Supported Bridge

A Fixed Bridge Held by a Few Implants

An implant-supported bridge is a fixed restoration for areas where several neighbouring teeth are missing. Rather than one implant for every missing tooth, fewer implants are placed and the bridge sits on top of them. The healthy teeth beside the gap are not ground down, and chewing forces are carried straight into the jawbone.

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What Is an Implant-Supported Bridge?

An implant-supported bridge is a fixed restoration used where several teeth next to one another are missing. Implants placed in the jawbone act as the supports for the bridge, and the missing teeth in between are replaced by a single piece attached to those supports.

This method does not need a separate implant for every missing tooth. Fewer implants are used than there are missing teeth, and the bridge is fixed on top of them. Surgery is therefore kept to a smaller area, and the healthy teeth on either side of the gap are left untouched.

Because the bridge takes its support from implants anchored in bone, chewing forces are carried straight into the jawbone. Keeping the bone under load helps to slow down the bone loss that follows tooth loss in that area.

How Does the Treatment Proceed?

  • Your mouth is examined and a three-dimensional scan is taken. The amount of bone, its density, the health of your gums and the anatomy of the area are all assessed.
  • The number and position of the implants are planned according to the length of the gap and the way chewing forces are spread.
  • The implants are placed in the jawbone under local anaesthetic.
  • During the healing period, the implants are left to fuse with the bone. In suitable cases a temporary restoration can be worn during this time.
  • Once they have fused, impressions are taken, the bridge is tried in and the permanent bridge is fixed to the implants.

How long fusing takes depends on your bone and on the part of the jaw being treated. For this reason the treatment is not finished in one go: it is completed in two stages, with a waiting period in between.

Who Is It Suitable For?

An implant-supported bridge may be considered if:

  • you are missing several teeth next to one another,
  • the teeth on either side of the gap are healthy and you would rather they were not ground down,
  • you do not want a partial denture that has to be taken in and out,
  • you have enough bone for implants to be placed.

In some cases the treatment cannot be carried out straight away. If there is not enough bone, a graft or a sinus floor elevation may be needed first. Gum inflammation, untreated decay or general health conditions that are not under control have to be dealt with before surgery. Smoking and teeth grinding can also affect healing.

What This Treatment Asks of You

  • This is surgery. Swelling, tenderness and mild pain are common in the first few days.
  • The fixed bridge is not handed over at the same visit. Because the implants have to fuse with the bone, treatment is spread over months and usually needs a second visit.
  • The part of the bridge that replaces the missing teeth, the pontic, rests on the gum. An ordinary toothbrush cannot reach underneath it, so you need an interdental brush or floss made for bridges. If cleaning is neglected, inflammation can develop.
  • The implants are joined to one another by a single-piece bridge. If something goes wrong with one part of it, the whole structure usually has to be taken off to be assessed.
  • If there is not enough bone, the extra procedures lengthen the overall timescale.

Whether the treatment is suitable for you is decided after a clinical examination and X-rays.

How Is This Treatment Planned at Papatya Dental?

For patients travelling to our clinic in Antalya from abroad, planning starts before the journey. If you already have a panoramic X-ray or a CBCT scan, we look at it in advance and, before you set off, we talk through how many stages your treatment is likely to take and which extra procedures might come up.

When you arrive at the clinic, the examination and the three-dimensional scan are repeated, because a definite plan can only be built on up-to-date records. The number and position of the implants become clear after that assessment. The assessment may also show that a different method suits you better.

A Plan Across Two Visits

  • The first visit covers the examination, the imaging, any preparation needed and the implant surgery. This part usually takes 5–7 days.
  • You spend the healing period at home. We stay in touch during that time and, if needed, ask a dentist where you live to check on you.
  • At the second visit, impressions are taken, the bridge is tried in and the permanent bridge is fixed in place.

Whether a temporary restoration can be planned for the healing period depends on the state of the bone. That decision is shared with you before surgery, so you know in advance how your mouth will look while you wait.

Once the bridge is fixed, you are given written aftercare instructions and the details of the implant system used. We keep in touch at regular intervals for your check-up appointments, and these can be in your own language or in English. Whether the treatment is suitable for you is decided after an examination.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does an implant-supported bridge last?
  • How long it lasts depends on oral hygiene, gum health, smoking and chewing habits.
  • The implants and the bridge on top of them are separate parts. If the bridge wears down or breaks it can be renewed, while the implants can stay in the bone.
  • Regular check-ups and cleaning under the bridge are among the biggest factors in how long it lasts.
  • No exact figure can be given, because the outcome differs from one patient to another.
Is the procedure painful?
  • Implant surgery is done under local anaesthetic, so no pain is expected during the procedure.
  • In the first days after the anaesthetic wears off, swelling, tenderness and mild pain are common. You take the medicines your dentist recommends during this time.
  • If the swelling and the symptoms do not ease within a few days, you need to let the clinic know.
  • The appointment at which the permanent bridge is fitted involves no surgery, and no pain is expected at that stage.
How many days does the treatment take?
  • The surgical part usually fits into a single clinic visit of 5–7 days.
  • The permanent bridge is made once the implants have fused with the bone. That wait can take several months.
  • If a procedure to increase the amount of bone is needed, the overall time is longer.
  • A definite timetable is shared with you after the examination and the imaging.
What are the alternatives?
  • A conventional bridge takes its support from the teeth on either side of the gap. Even when those teeth are healthy they have to be ground down, and that cannot be undone.
  • A partial denture that is taken in and out needs no surgery and is ready sooner, but it does not stay fixed in the mouth and the bone underneath it is no longer loaded.
  • Placing a separate implant for every missing tooth is another option, but it means more surgical sites and more bone.
  • Which option suits you is decided after an examination.
How do you look after it?
  • Brushing morning and evening carries on in exactly the same way with an implant-supported bridge.
  • An ordinary toothbrush cannot reach the underside of the bridge where it meets the gum. That area is cleaned with an interdental brush or with floss made for bridges.
  • A water flosser can help to flush out food debris, but it does not replace brushing.
  • If you notice bleeding gums, an odour or any movement in the bridge, book a check-up appointment.
  • At check-ups, the bone level around the implants is followed on X-rays.

Other Treatments

Discover our full range of treatments

Dental Bridge3-5 daysRemovable Partial Denture4–7 daysComplete Dentures5–10 daysDental Implant1-4 daysAll-on-4 Implants1-3 daysAll-on-6 Implants1-4 daysBone Grafting3-6 months
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