Types of Dental Implants Q&A

Replacing a tooth lost due to injury or disease with a dental implant can significantly improve a person’s health and quality of life. Dental implants are cosmetic medical devices that are surgically implanted into the jaw to:

• Restore a person’s appearance
• To help with speech
• Improve the ability to chew
• Provide support for artificial teeth like crowns, bridges, or dentures.

A post, usually made of titanium, is surgically inserted into the jaw in the space left by the original tooth’s root. An abutment, or extension, is placed on the post, and the crown (artificial tooth) is placed on top of the abutment.

The two types of dental implants are:

• In the bone (Endosteal) – these are the most common type of implant and are often used as an alternative for patients who wear bridges or removable dentures. Each implant can hold one or more artificial teeth and the various forms include screws, cylinders, or blades that are surgically placed into the jawbone.

• On the bone (Subperiosteal) – these are placed on top of the jaw with metal framework posts that project through the gum to hold the implant in place and are often used for those unable to wear conventional dentures or that don’t have enough bone height to support an endosteal implant.

If your oral health and overall general health are good if you have sufficient bone in your jaw to support an implant, and if you have healthy gums free from periodontal disease, then you would be a good candidate for dental implants, but with the different types of implant and procedures available how do you know which one to choose? Dr. Cory Nguyen, DDS is board certified in dental implant dentistry and he has extensive knowledge and expertise in this field. He will consult with you prior to any procedure to determine which one will be right for you.

The different types of dental implant procedures are:

• Single Tooth Dental Implants – used to replace a single missing tooth.
• Multiple Tooth Dental Implants – used to replace several missing teeth.
• Full Mouth Dental Implants – used if all teeth are missing.
• Sinus Augmentation – this is a procedure that changes the position of the sinus floor and improves the quality and quantity of bone in that area so that dental implants can be used on the upper rear jaw. This is normally one of the most difficult areas in which to successfully place dental implants due to inadequate bone quantity and density and sinus augmentation is a method used to correct this problem.
• Ridge Modification – in this procedure the gum is lifted to expose an area where bone may be missing caused by a deformity in the upper or lower jaw. The space is filled with bone or bone substitutes to increase the integrity of the ridge which has been shown to significantly improve the appearance of the jaw and increase the chances of a successful implant.

• All-on-4 dental implants This is a procedure that allows the dentist to implant 4 to 6 teeth in one day to enable the patient to leave the office with a whole new look, and new teeth. Patients who benefit from this procedure are those with missing, poor, or non-retainable teeth, or patients with ill-fitting or unstable existing dentures.
• Zygomatic implants This is a new procedure that gives patients a safer, more reliable, enduring, and more economical option for dental implants that would otherwise have been deemed unsuitable due to insufficient bone quality and density.
• Pterygoid implants can be used as an alternative to sinus augmentation procedures.
• Implant bridges are the traditional way of replacing a missing tooth. They are typically made from ceramic and hold a false tooth that would look like a missing tooth. The false tooth has a crown on each side of it which is used to anchor the bridge in place on the adjacent teeth. These teeth also called abutment teeth, provide support for the bridge, holding it securely in place.
• Lower jaw implant denture; upper and lower jaw implant hybrid prosthesis are dentures that, unlike regular dentures, are fixed into the mouth using a set of four dental implants.

If you would like to know more about our dental implant services, contact Beyond Dental & Implant Center today! We are accepting new patients. We are conveniently located at 13655 Preston Rd Suite 100 Dallas, TX 75240 and We serve patients from Dallas TX, Plano TX, Addison TX, Garland TX, Richardson TX, Carrollton TX, and BEYOND! We look forward to meeting you!