Types of Dental Implants

What type of dental implant is perfect for you?

It’s true that a missing tooth can take a toll on not only your oral health but also your social relations.

Dental implants are a great option to replace a missing tooth with a perfectly functioning prosthetic tooth.

Before knowing about their types, let’s first briefly discuss dental implants.

What is a Dental Implant?

A dental implant, also called a tooth implant, happens to be a metal structure. This structure is affixed to the patient’s jawbone after a surgical procedure. The main purpose of the metal structure is to hold the artificial tooth (an alternative tooth that will be placed over it) in one place.

It can fill the void created by a missing tooth and prevent the neighboring teeth from drifting from their positions. This treatment can be tailored to meet the individual needs of every patient.

Endosteal Implants

Endosteal implants are generally what comes into people’s minds when talking about dental implants.

They are the typical implants, that most people refer to.

Structure of endosteal implants:

It consists of two key components:

A titanium rod acting as a prosthetic root.
And, a dental crown.

The titanium rod is the closest to your natural tooth root. This helps in creating a stable base for the crown. It also helps in letting the dental crown perform like a natural tooth. It is solely a restorative component.

The dental crown is for both cosmetic and functional purposes. With a dental crown, you will get your smile back! And not only your smile but your chewing abilities too.

Treatment for endosteal implants:

The endosteal implants are lengthy. We can break down the procedure in these steps.

Removing the damaged tooth (if any)
Performing a bone grafting surgery
Placement of dental implant
Healing process (could last for months)
Placing an abutment
Placing a dental crown…

The implant infused into the jawbone requires a healthy jawbone. If the jawbone is not as healthy as required, an endosteal implant might not be a viable option for you.

In such cases, a subperiosteal implant comes to rescue you! What’s that? Follow on to know more about subperiosteal.

Subperiosteal Implants

When the bone density and health don’t allow your dentist in Seattle to place an endosteal implant, your dentist might consider subperiosteal as an alternative. They are a bit outdated, but you can always know about them.

Structure of subperiosteal implants:

A subperiosteal implant consists of:

A metal framework.
A dental crown, dental bridge, or dentures.

Unlike endosteal, here the metal framework is placed beneath the gum, above the jawbone. The framework consists of metal posts acting as a holder for the prosthetic tooth.

Either crowns, bridges, or dentures are used for the placement of prosthetic teeth on the metal framework.

Treatment for subperiosteal implants:

The treatment is not a lengthy process. It can be performed in just two dental visits.

Placement of the metal framework.
Placement of the prosthetic teeth.

This process is apt for patients who do not look forward to bone augmentation surgery. Not because they are scared, but because their jawbones cannot hold it.

Zygomatic Implants

This is a more advanced type of dental implant. In this type, the implant is placed in the cheekbone instead of the jawbone. Usually, dentists opt for this type if there’s not enough jawbone to hold endosteal implants.

Dental Implants Technique:

Besides types, dental implants also vary depending on the technique used by the dentist to place them. These are:

Bone Augmentation

If the bone in the jaw cannot support the implant, it is restored using the bone augmentation technique. The dentist may use a bone additive for the purpose of fortifying the bone.

Sinus Lift

This technique is used if the patient doesn’t have upper back teeth, which has resulted in bone deterioration. The dental surgeon adds bone below the sinus before placing the implant.

Ridge Expansion

In the case when the jaw doesn’t have the required width to hold the implant, space along the jaw’s top part is created. Then, the dentist adds graft material to it. This process helps to create more room for implants.

All on 4 Implants

Instead of placing a full set of upper and lower replacement teeth, your dentist may opt for all on 4 dental implants. These are usually placed in the available bone for the purpose of preventing bone grafting.

So, what’s best for you?

If your dental health condition is normal with a missing tooth or tooth decay, the endosteal implant is for you. And, if you have an unhealthy jawbone, a subperiosteal implant will have to be performed.