Different Types of Dental Implants & Their Functions
What are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are artificial tooth roots and a popular tooth replacement solution when dealing with tooth loss or tooth extraction. When considering replacements for your missing teeth, you will want the solutions to appear and function like the natural teeth you lost. While you can find dentures and bridges recommended as popular solutions for the replacements, you must consider dental implants if you want a long-term solution to the missing teeth.
Dental implants function as replacements for your missing tooth root after titanium posts are surgically embedded deep into your jawbone by the dentist near you. The implants need three to six months to osseointegrate with your jawbone, after which you can have an abutment placed on top with a dental crown to function as your artificial tooth.
If you want replacement teeth resembling your natural teeth, you can find no other option besides dental implants for the teeth you lost. However, there are different types of dental implants. Which dental implant best suits your needs?
This article discusses different types of dental implants and their functions to help you determine what best suits your requirements to make an informed decision with your dentist for replacing your missing teeth.
Types of Dental Implants
Endosteal Implants
Endosteal implants are perhaps the most common variety made from titanium and alloplastic material, referring to an artificial tissue graft. Surgical placement of endosteal implants into the jawbone helps the titanium post integrate with the natural bone.
Endosteal implants are appropriate if you have a couple of missing teeth and want to replace them with a reliable solution lasting for a lifetime with proper dental care.
Subperiosteal Implants
Subperiosteal implants are an option if you do not have adequate natural jawbone to support endosteal implants. Subperiosteal implants are placed on the jawbone and are not surgically embedded into the jawbone.
Whether you have a couple of missing teeth or an entire arch of missing teeth, you can rely on dental implants to provide you with a reliable replacement solution for all the teeth in your mouth and function similar to your natural teeth.
Which Implant Type Best Suits Your Requirements?
As mentioned earlier, there are different types of dental implants available depending on your specific requirements. You can consider the following after discussing with the dentist in North Houston on which dental implant you can have.
Single Tooth Implant
If you have a single missing tooth dental implants in North Houston, TX, recommend single tooth dental implants for aesthetics, comfort, and function. Single tooth implants require one dental crown connecting to the implant screw after the titanium post has integrated with your jawbone.
Implant-Supported Bridges
If you have several missing teeth, the Houston dentist recommends implant-supported Bridges where the implant functions as the abutment tooth for the bridge acting as a fixed dental bridge. Implant-supported Bridges restore the functionality of your mouth by preventing your remaining teeth from shifting position.
All on 4 Dental Implants
Recommendations for all on four implants are made if you have several missing teeth because the solution can replace an entire arch of teeth in your upper or lower jaw. All on four solutions are permanent but are removable for cleaning and dental exams.
Three on Six Implants
Another variety available to hold an implant retained denture is the three on six dental implants consisting of three individual Bridges attached on six dental implants.
The Functioning of Dental Implants
When you lose a single tooth or multiple, the loss also takes away your tooth root and several other functions you performed with your teeth. Dental implants were created not as replacements for your missing teeth because they intended to replace your missing tooth roots to provide your jawbone the much-needed stimulation it earlier received from your teeth.
The term stimulation can confuse you into wondering why your jaw needs stimulation from your teeth. It helps if you understand your jaw is not a piece of bone but living tissue in your mouth that needs stimulation from the chewing and biting forces. The lack of stimulation causes your remaining teeth to shift to the missing teeth gap to create a nasty bite in your mouth. In addition, missing teeth also impact your facial appearance, making you look older than you are.
Dental implants function to prevent all the above while restoring your teeth’s functionality to allow you to lead a healthy life. If you wish to have reliable replacements for your missing teeth, dental implants are the optimal solution you can consider because they are suitable for everyone between 18 and 90.
If you wish to have one of the above-mentioned dental implants for your missing, please contact Lynn Alan Palmer, DDS, to have the dental implants in your mouth.