Traditionally, an implant placed into your bone supports a single crown and this is know as a "single tooth implant". However, if you have several missing teeth, you do not necessarily need an implant for every missing tooth: one implant can support several teeth via a bridge or denture. The number of implants required depends on the volume and density of bone tissue available at each implant site. Often, smaller-sized "mini implants" are used to secure dentures in place.

In the case of full-mouth reconstructions, where an arch of several teeth (10+) needs to be supported in either the upper or lower jaw, a minimum of five to eight implants in each jaw would be required. The exact number of implants needed would depend on the individual case and your implant surgeon would be able to advise you on the best solution after a thorough examination and assessment.