If you are missing one or more teeth, dental implants are a permanent solution to replace your teeth and restore your beautiful smile. There are three different types of implants your restorative dentist may consider for you.
The best choice of dental implant for you depends on the health of your jawbone, how many teeth you are looking to replace, your overall health, and your budget.
Endosteal implants are a great option for people with healthy and strong jawbones and are the most common dental implant. A strong, healthy jawbone is necessary to support this type of implant and uses screw-like posts embedded into the jaw generoralally made of titanium. After the implant surgery for the post another part is attached to the top of the post called and abutment. The abutment becomes the place where the crown, bridge, or full dental arch replacement is attached.
Endosteal implants typically provide excellent long-term dental health outcomes allowing for seamless and natural speaking and eating outcomes. They are very effective at stopping tooth displacement that can occur with missing teeth or jaw deterioration.
Endosteal implants require a strong and healthy jawbone that is thick (10mm for the upper jaw and 8mm for the lower jaw if there are no other nearby implants) and good bone density to support the implant. If the jawbone is too thin but otherwise healthy a bone graft may be an option to allow for this option.
Subperiosteal dental implants are an option your dentist may discuss when your jawbone is not thick enough to place a post for an endosteal dental implant. Instead of a post like in an endosteal implant, subperiosteal implants utilize metal framework that sits on top of the jawbone but below the gumline, but have posts that protrude above the gumline and the crown, bridge or other dental option is then attached. The gums heal around this framework. Subperiosteal dental implants are a significant surgery but are often the best option when there are problems with the jaw of the patient that makes an endosteal dental implant not a viable option for the patient.
Zygomatic dental implants are a relatively new option for patients that are generally only performed when there are no other options available to the patient due to their dental health, typically when there are significant problems with the jawbone. This option anchors to the cheekbone instead of the jawbone and therefore is only an option with the upper teeth. This specific procedure requires four points to anchor a full arch replacement. This option is sometimes evaluated and suggested when bone density or thickness is low and the patient does not want to undergo bone graft surgeries or other methods to build up the jaw for another remedy.
If you are missing one or more teeth, it is important to have it addressed as soon as possible (For more information regarding why please read the blog post: Why It Is Important to Replace a Missing Tooth ASAP! To learn more at https://clovedds.com/blog/why-it-is-important-to-replace-a-missing-tooth-a.s.a.p about the many important reasons why.) Please call us at (805) 983-7674 or schedule an appointment with one of our outstanding dentists today at clovedds.com.