Replacing several missing teeth
Two or more implants can support a bridge of several teeth, closing a gap without a removable partial denture.
How an implant bridge works
A dental implant is a small titanium post that takes the place of a missing tooth root. When several teeth are missing, you don't always need one implant for every tooth. Two or more implants can support a bridge: a single piece of several teeth joined together, fixed onto the implants. Because the bridge rests on implants rather than on your own teeth, the healthy teeth either side of the gap don't have to be ground down to hold it.
The result is a bridge you don't take out, so you can bite and chew with confidence.
Is an implant bridge right for you?
An implant bridge may suit you if:
- you have two or more missing teeth next to each other, or teeth in a row that can't be saved
- you'd rather not wear a removable partial denture
- you'd like to avoid cutting down healthy teeth to support a conventional bridge
- your gums and remaining teeth are healthy, or can be made healthy first
- there is enough bone for the implants, or it can be built up with bone grafting
How many implants? That depends on how many teeth are missing, where they are and how much bone you have. You might have one implant for each tooth, or two or more implants each supporting more than one tooth. As a general principle, we use as many implants as your situation allows, so the force of biting is spread across them and the load on each one is reduced. Your dentist will explain the choice in your plan.
Other options. If you still have some of your own teeth, the alternatives include a bridge or partial denture supported by your teeth, or by a combination of implants and teeth. We'll talk through every option at your consultation; there's more in Missing teeth solutions.
Your treatment, step by step
Consultation. A 30-minute appointment with a full examination. You leave with a fully costed treatment plan and a letter explaining the whole procedure.
3D scan and planning. A CBCT scan at our Cirencester practice shows your jawbone in three dimensions, so the implants can be positioned precisely. For some bridges, we plan the new teeth first with a diagnostic wax-up: a model of the planned teeth, made in wax, that can also be used to make your temporary teeth.
Getting your mouth ready. Any decay or gum problems are treated first, and teeth that can't be saved are removed. If there isn't enough bone, it can often be built up.
Placing the implants. This is usually done under local anaesthetic, with IV sedation available if you're nervous.
Healing, with temporary teeth. The implants are left to bond with the bone, usually for 6 to 12 weeks. In several of our multiple-teeth cases, patients had a temporary bridge or denture during this time, and some had a temporary bridge on the implants to shape the gum before the final bridge was made.
Your new bridge. We record the exact position of the implants, often with an iTero digital scan. The bridge is made in a dental laboratory, tried in and fitted, which usually takes a couple of weeks.
Looking after it. You clean your bridge every day, paying extra attention to where the implants meet the gum, and see the hygienist regularly.
What to expect afterwards
After-effects are usually mild: slight bruising, a dull ache and some swelling, depending on the number of implants placed and how involved the surgery is. Keep the week after surgery free of big social or work commitments, just to be safe; time off work isn't usually necessary. You'll go home with written aftercare instructions, and you can call us on 01285 640248, or out of hours on 07912 668541, if anything worries you.
How long it takes
- Planning
- May take a month or so.
- Any treatment needed first
- From a few weeks to several months.
- Healing after the implants are placed
- Usually 6 to 12 weeks.
- Fitting your bridge
- Usually a couple of weeks.
If you need bone grafting, treatment takes longer. These are guides only; your plan will give your own timings.
Fees
Because every bridge is different, your treatment is priced after your consultation. As a guide, each implant fixture is £1,595, and an implant crown for a back or front tooth is from £1,345.
| Item | Details | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Initial clinical consultation (30 minutes) | A full examination of your mouth and a talk about your options. You receive a fully costed plan for your treatment and a letter explaining the whole procedure. | £95 |
| Initial clinical consultation with Dr Ross Cutts (30 minutes) | The same full consultation, with our principal dentist, Dr Ross Cutts. You receive a fully costed plan for your treatment and a letter explaining the whole procedure. | £150 |
| CBCT 3D scan (at our Cirencester practice) | A 3D X-ray of your jaw that shows the shape and depth of the bone, so implants can be planned precisely. Charged in addition to the consultation, only if a scan is needed. | £210 |
| Implant fixture (the post that goes into the bone) | The implant itself: a small titanium screw placed in the jawbone to take the place of a tooth root. Priced per implant. | £1,595 |
| Implant crown, back tooth | The crown (the visible tooth) made for and fitted on top of an implant, for a back tooth, including the abutment that connects the two. | from £1,345 |
| Implant crown, front tooth | The crown (the visible tooth) made for and fitted on top of an implant, for a front tooth, including the abutment that connects the two. | from £1,345 |
| Artificial bone (guided tissue regeneration) | A bone-substitute material placed where the bone is too thin, to help new bone form around an implant. | from £480 |
| Diagnostic wax-up | A wax model of your planned new teeth, made before treatment to help plan it. | from £640 |
Your consultation is £95, or £150 with Dr Ross Cutts. A CBCT scan, if you need one, is £210, and a diagnostic wax-up is from £640. You'll receive a written, fully costed plan before treatment starts, and you can pay in stages as your treatment progresses. Prices are from our August 2026 price list and may change. See all fees.
Multiple-teeth cases
Step-by-step photographs from cases at the practice where several teeth were replaced with implants.
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Questions about replacing several teeth
What are my options for replacing missing teeth?
It depends on whether you still have some of your own teeth. If you have no teeth left in a jaw, the options are a removable denture, a denture held in place by implants, or crowns and a bridge supported by implants. If you have some teeth left, you could have crowns or a bridge supported by implants, your own teeth or both; a partial denture secured by implants or by teeth; or a bridge fixed to the teeth either side of the gap. At your consultation we’ll explain which options suit you, and what each involves and costs.
How do implants compare with dentures and bridges?
Each option has strengths and drawbacks. Removable dentures cost less, but they often need adhesive, can feel loose or uncomfortable, and can add to decay, gum disease and shrinkage of the bone and gums. An adhesive bridge needs little or no drilling of the teeth next to it, but it can come loose, so it is often seen as temporary. A conventional bridge means filing down the healthy teeth either side of the gap to hold it, and over time these crowns can loosen and lead to decay. An implant isn’t attached to the teeth next to it, so they are left untouched, and it can be combined with bone grafting where needed.
How much does it cost to replace several teeth or all my teeth?
It depends on how many implants you need and what they will hold, so we price your treatment after your consultation. As a guide, each implant fixture is £1,595 and implant crowns are from £1,345. An implant denture is from £1,695 per denture, and the overdenture abutments it clips onto are £550. Bone grafting, if you need it, is priced separately. Your written plan will show every item and its cost before you decide.
Dr Ross Cutts (GDC 78162) is the practice principal, an ITI Fellow with a master's degree in prosthodontics.
Dr Ross Cutts
Practice Principal
GDC 78162
Principal dentist and ITI Fellow with a master's degree in prosthodontics. Ross sees every implant referral personally, at Cirencester and Stow-on-the-Wold.
Profile: Dr Ross Cutts
Start with a conversation.
Book a consultation to talk through your options. You'll leave with a clear, fully costed plan to take home and think over.
Implant treatment is available at both our Cirencester and Stow-on-the-Wold practices, so let us know your preference when you book.