Dental Implants Bakersfield/ Implant Bridges in Bakersfield, CA

Implant Bridges in Beverly Hills, CA

Two implants, three teethFixed, not removableSedation availableSecond opinions welcome

Replace three or four teeth in a row with a fixed bridge held by two or three implants. Fewer implants than teeth, and your natural teeth stay untouched.

Two implants can carry three teeth, so less surgery than one implant each
Fixed in place. Nothing clips in or comes out
The healthy teeth beside the gap are not touched
Insurance often pays toward the crowns even when it excludes implants

Check if you qualify See the procedure

Consultations

(310) 929-9128

Monday to Friday, 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM
English, Spanish and Farsi

Book a Consultation

Overview

How Two Implants Can Replace Three or Four Teeth

An implant bridge replaces several teeth in a row using fewer implants than teeth.

Two implants go in at each end of the gap. A single fixed bridge spans between them, carrying a crown for every missing tooth. The tooth in the middle has no implant under it and is carried by the two on either side.

It is used when:

Three or four teeth in a row are missing or failing
You want something fixed rather than a partial denture
One implant per tooth is more surgery or more cost than you need

For one missing tooth, a single implant is the answer. For a whole jaw, a full arch option is. This sits in between.

The word you will hear

The floating tooth in the middle is called a pontic. It sits just above the gum with a small space underneath, which is why cleaning under it becomes part of your routine.

How it works

Where the Implants Go

Tap through by how many teeth you are missing. Watch what happens to the stretch of bridge with nothing under it.

Two implants, two crowns

No floating tooth. Each crown has its own implant underneath.
Strongest of the three, and the easiest to clean.
This is really two single implants joined, or sometimes left separate.
Cost is close to two individual implants.

Two implants, one floating tooth

The middle tooth needs no implant, so you have one fewer surgical site.
Costs less than three separate implants.
Still one fixed piece. Nothing comes out.
The floating tooth is called a pontic. It rests just above the gum.
You have to clean underneath the pontic daily.

Usually three implants

A third implant keeps any one unsupported stretch short.
Still cheaper and less surgery than four separate implants.
Two floating teeth in a row is asking a lot of a bridge. Most cases add the third implant instead.
Beyond four teeth, a full arch option often makes more sense.

Tap through by how many teeth are missing.

A bridge is rigid only if its anchors are close enough together. Put them too far apart and it flexes every time you bite, which loosens screws and eventually cracks things.

So the rule is simple: keep any unsupported stretch short. One floating tooth between two implants is well proven. Two floating teeth in a row is where most surgeons add a third implant instead.

What the scan is checking:

Is there enough bone at both ends of the gap to anchor an implant
How wide the gap actually is, measured rather than eyeballed
Whether the sinus above or the nerve below limits where implants can go
How hard you bite, since that decides how much flex is acceptable

One thing to avoid

A bridge should not be anchored to an implant at one end and a natural tooth at the other. Implants do not move and natural teeth do, slightly. Joining them puts strain on both.

Timeline

From Surgery to Your Final Bridge

This is a smaller operation than most people expect, because you are having two implants rather than one per tooth.

The short version:

Surgery takes about one to two hours
Numbing, sedation or full sleep. Your choice
Soreness peaks around day two, then fades
Most people are back to work the next day
Three to six months of healing, with nothing to manage
Then two short visits to fit the bridge

Drag the slider for each stage.

Call us if

Pain gets worse after day three instead of better, swelling grows after three days, or you run a fever.

Your visits

Six stages from consultation to finished bridge.

Visit 1SurgeryDay 3Week 2HealingBridge

Benefits

Implant Bridge vs. Individual Implants

The comparison that matters is against replacing every tooth with its own implant.

Three missing teeth, two ways
	Implant bridge	One implant each
Implants placed	2	3
Surgical sites	2	3
Cost	Lower	Higher
Bone needed	At both ends only	At every position
Cleaning	Clean under the floating tooth	Floss like normal teeth
If one implant fails	The whole bridge is affected	Only that tooth
Feels like	Fixed, does not move	Fixed, does not move

Separate implants win on repairability. A bridge wins on surgery, cost and how much bone you need. Both give you fixed teeth.

Why most people choose the bridge:

One less surgery site. Fewer implants means less healing and less that can go wrong.
It costs less. Implants are the expensive part, so using two instead of three brings the total down noticeably.
You need less bone. Only the two ends need enough bone for an implant. The middle does not, which can avoid a graft.
Your natural teeth stay out of it. Unlike an old-style bridge, the healthy teeth beside the gap are not touched.
It is fixed. Nothing clips in or comes out. You eat and clean around it like teeth.

If you wait

How one Gap Becomes Several

A single missing tooth is a local problem. Three in a row changes how your whole mouth works, and the damage shows up on the side you still chew with. Tap through it.

What actually goes wrong:

You stop using one side. It happens without a decision. Within weeks almost all chewing has moved across.
The other side wears out early. Cracked teeth, failing fillings and flattened biting surfaces on the side that is doing double duty.
A wide gap loses bone fast. Three teeth worth of ridge shrinks across the whole span, so grafting later means rebuilding a wide area rather than one socket.
The end teeth tilt in. Once they lean, there may not be room to place implants where they need to go without straightening them first.
Your jaw joint takes the strain. Chewing on one side loads the joint unevenly, which is a common source of clicking and morning ache.

Find out where you stand

Pricing

Understanding Implant Bridge Pricing

Implants are the expensive part, so the count matters more than the number of teeth.

A three-tooth bridge on two implants costs less than three separate implants. A four-tooth bridge usually needs a third implant, which brings it back up. That is the whole shape of the pricing.

Tick the boxes and take the list to any consultation, including ours.

Insurance

This is one case where insurance often helps more than you would expect. Plans that exclude implants frequently still pay toward crowns, and a bridge has three or four of them. Worth filing a pre-estimate before you commit. Financing through Proceed Finance is available, subject to approval.

Credentials

Meet your Surgeon

Dr. Sam Harouni, DDS. Oral and maxillofacial surgeon in Bakersfield.

Bridges live or die on implant position. Getting two anchors placed so the span between them stays rigid, in bone that is often thinner across a wide gap, is the part that decides how long it lasts.

Dental degree from the University of Southern California
Surgical residency at Emory University School of Medicine
Bone grafting and sinus work handled in-house, so a thin ridge does not mean a referral
Sedation and general anesthesia given here, not referred out
Over 10,000 patients treated, 4.7 out of 5 on Yelp, English and Farsi

Full Biography

FAQ

Questions Patients Ask

How many teeth can two implants hold?

Three is the reliable answer. Two implants at the ends of the gap, with one floating tooth between them.

Four teeth on two implants means two floating teeth in a row, which is a long unsupported stretch. Most cases add a third implant instead. Beyond four teeth, a full arch option usually makes more sense.

What is the floating tooth in the middle called?

A pontic. It is a full crown that sits just above the gum with a small space underneath, carried by the implants on either side.

That space is deliberate. It leaves room to clean under it, which is the one extra habit an implant bridge asks of you.

Is a bridge as strong as separate implants?

For normal chewing, yes. Where separate implants have the edge is in what happens later. If one implant has a problem, only that tooth is involved.

With a bridge, everything is joined, so one implant problem affects the whole bridge. That is the main trade for the lower cost and the smaller surgery.

Why not just place one implant per tooth?

You can, and sometimes it is the better plan. It costs more, needs more surgery, and needs enough bone at every position rather than just at the two ends.

For three teeth in a row, most people choose the bridge because the result feels identical and the price is meaningfully lower.

How do I clean underneath it?

With a water flosser, or floss threaded under the pontic once a day. It takes a few extra seconds once you have the knack, and we show you before you leave.

This is not optional. Debris under a pontic is the most common cause of gum inflammation around an implant bridge.

What if my missing teeth are not next to each other?

Then a single bridge is usually the wrong answer. A bridge has to be one continuous piece, so separate gaps mean separate restorations.

Two gaps with a healthy tooth between them are normally treated as two separate implants or two small bridges, rather than spanning over the healthy tooth.

Can the bridge be attached to one of my own teeth at one end?

It is possible but generally avoided. A natural tooth moves very slightly in its socket under load and an implant does not move at all.

Joining the two means the tooth end takes strain the implant end does not absorb, which can loosen the tooth or the cement over time. Two implants is the cleaner design.

What is the bridge made of?

Usually porcelain fused to a metal or zirconia framework, or a single milled zirconia piece. Zirconia resists staining and chipping better.

Ask whether it is screwed on or cemented. Screwed on is generally preferred, because it can be removed cleanly for cleaning or repair without disturbing the implants.

How long does an implant bridge last?

The implants are built to last decades. The bridge on top is the wearing part, and may need replacing once across that time.

Longevity depends most on cleaning under the pontic and on whether you grind. A night guard is worth having if you do, since a bridge with a floating tooth is more sensitive to overnight force than a single crown.