Has your dentist told you about the need for dental implants? Are you now overwhelmed by all the choices?
Well, maybe this can make the choice a little easier. Continue reading to learn about the different types of dental implants available and your implant options.
What is a dental implant?
Implants are made of pure titanium. They are tiny and are inserted into the bone below the gums to act like normal tooth roots.
They can be used for any tooth loss and customized for whatever you need.
Now that you have a better understanding of what they are, let’s go over the different types to choose from.
Types of dental implants
There are three common types of dental implants that you can choose from endosteal, subperiosteal, and zygomatic.
Endosteal is the safest and most common, followed by subperiosteal and then zygomatic, the last and most complex. It is rarely used.
Endosteal implants are the most common type of dental implant. They are suitable for most patients but require a good, healthy jawbone to connect the post. They are support posts that are shaped like screws. They are placed in the jaw on which the artificial teeth are placed.
After this procedure, it will take some time to heal. It takes time to combine and create a fortress. After healing, the denture can be placed on the base to match the surrounding teeth. If you don’t like the idea of having something inserted into your jawbone, you might like the idea of the second most common implant a little more.
Another type of dental implant is a subperiosteal implant. It is the main alternative to endosteal implants. Instead of being fixed in the jawbone, subperiosteal implants sit on top of the bone but still below the gum line.
A metal frame is placed under the gum to which a base is attached. The gum is then cured around the frame to hold it in place. Artificial teeth are attached to the posts coming from the gums. This method is only used if the patient does not have enough jawbone for implant placement or if the person does not want to undergo severe oral surgery to add bone to the area. If this is the case for you, this next implant may be the best fit for you.
The zygomatic implant is the smallest type of dental implant available to you. This is the most complicated procedure and should only be done if you do not have enough jawbone for an endosteal implant. The implant is placed in the patient’s cheekbone instead of the jawbone. Now that you are talking about the three types of implants, you may want to know about the implant techniques.
Other dental implant implantation techniques
If complications arise and your jaw cannot support an implant and a zygomatic implant is completely impossible, your dentist may suggest other alternatives.
If your jawbone cannot support the implant, your dentist will restore the bone.
It is possible to use bone supplements to strengthen bones. I know it sounds like something out of Star Trek, but it could work.
This procedure involves adding bone under the sinus if the bone there is damaged due to the loss of upper back teeth.
It is possible that your jaw is not wide enough for the implant. In this case, your dentist can graft material to fill the space created above your jaw. All three of these techniques can work to create space for an implant, but all is not lost if your dentist thinks these ideas are bad. There are still a few other techniques that your dentist may recommend.
Again, 3D imaging technology has evolved enough that your dentist can see a 3D model of your jaw. By reading this software, your dentist in Kingston can plan the best implant procedure for you. This saves money and recovery time.
Immediate implantation of dental implants
This type of dental implant is a lot like adding a spare tire to your car, except with teeth. This allows for temporary placement of the temporary tooth, on the same day as your implant placement.
If you have enough bone and the implant is secure enough to support the placement and pressure of the temporary tooth, this may be the option for you.
What is a mini dental implant?
These are toothpick-sized implants that are very narrow. Their main use is to stabilize lower dentures. They are less innovative than the others, but they are still a perfectly acceptable option for you to consider.
Planting a complete set of implants
It is used as an alternative to placing a full set of upper or lower replacement teeth. Four dental implants are placed in the existing bone, eliminating the need for bone grafting. A temporary set of replacement teeth can be placed on the same day.
The downside is that you have to follow a special diet while the tissue is still healing and the implants are bonding with the bone. After 6 short months, a permanent set of replacement teeth is placed and finally, You can resume your normal diet.