More patients still suffer from tooth loss despite the advancement of dental technology in improving dental care services. Because of this, dentists recommend a durable and fixed restoration through the benefits of dental implants.
Implants are dental screws made of titanium or zirconia and are placed into the upper or lower jaw bone. To be effective, it takes several months for the screws to fuse with the human body. Once this process succeeds, the screw becomes a permanent artificial root for the replacement tooth. Zirconia and titanium dental implants are biocompatible to the human body. Having said this, it allows osseointegration or the fusion of the bones and implants to take place.
The different types of dental implants
Teeth implants are classified into two main types.
- Endosteal implants are the most common types of screws which are directly placed into the jaw bone. These are for patients who have sufficient jaw bone density.
- Subperiosteal dental implants are placed below the gums, yet they are just above the jaw bone. Unlike endosteal implants, these are for patients who lack natural bone in the jaw. Furthermore, this kind of implant is also for those who are unable to undergo bone augmentation surgery.
Three kinds of dental implants based on placement technique used
- All-on-4. Dentists recommend this kind of implants to patients who need a full arch dental restoration. As the name suggests, dentists position the four titanium dental implants into the jaw bone. Also, dentists use special abutments to let their patients wear temporary artificial teeth during the healing period. While recuperating from this kind of surgery, patients should strictly follow a soft diet. Patients should properly observe this, especially that it may take about six months for the implants to succeed with the integration. When this succeeds, All-on-4 implants provides stable support for the complete dentures.
- Immediate load implants. These are also known as same-day teeth implants. In this placement method, the patient receives the artificial tooth right after dental implant surgery. The option for immediate load implants is for patients who does not have enough natural bone to host the implants.
- Mini implants. These are implants with a narrow diameter, having the size of a toothpick. Dental surgeons use less-invasive techniques in placing mini dental implants. Due to their size, they are best for use in the lower jaw. If you are having issues with stabilizing your lower dentures, mini implants are your best option.
It helps to know that there are a lot of options you can choose from to replace missing teeth. It’s time to talk to your Waterloo dentist about having zirconia or titanium dental implants restoration.