Different Dental Implant Systems
Dental Implants
Since their inception in the early 1960s, dental implants have quickly become the preferred means of replacing teeth. Single teeth, multiple teeth, all of one’s teeth: dental implants are capable of replacing them all. Due to their unique design and structure, dental implants are incredibly stable, durable, reliable, and attractive looking. In contrast to conventional dentures, they allow for greater enjoyment of food, less movement in the mouth, reduced maintenance and upkeep, and a better quality of life for their wearers. They are also dependable, with a success rate of approximately 95%. For these reasons and more, dental implants have become the gold standard in tooth replacement today. As their popularity only continues to grow, numerous types and systems have become available, increasing consumer choice and providing numerous options to satisfy individual preferences.
Types of Dental Implants
For many people, the term “dental implant” automatically conjures the idea of a single tooth that is replaced with an implant and prosthetic crown. This is indeed a widespread use of the dental implant, but they can also do much more. Along with replacing single teeth, dental implants can also support implant-supported or retained bridges, which can be used to replace two or more teeth in one area of the mouth. They can also support whole arches of implant-supported or retained dentures.
While the process of creating a dental implant that supports a single prosthetic crown or an entire arch of implant-retained dentures is much the same, the number of implants required varies. A single crown requires its own dental implant but am implant-retained bridge or denture does not require an implant for every tooth that is replaced; typically, an entire arch can be supported by as few as two to four implants.
Steps in Creating Dental Implants
Whether they will support a single crown or a number of prosthetic teeth, dental implants are created much in the same way. First, a small post made of titanium or zirconium – called the dental implant fixture – is surgically embedded into the hard tissue of the jawbone beneath the gumline. This is the part of the dental implant that does the job of a tooth’s roots, anchoring them in place and lending teeth the strength necessary to eat and chew. After the implant fixture or fixtures have been installed, the gumline is then either sewed up and given time to heal or a healing abutment is attached right away.
If a healing abutment has not been attached, the dental implant fixture is given two to four months to integrate firmly with the jawbone, after which point the permanent abutment can be attached. This is a small connecting piece that is connected to the implant fixture below the surface of the gums; it provides a surface to which the prosthetic crown, bridge, or dentures can be attached. It also transfers the torque of biting and chewing down into the jaw where it can be effectively absorbed. Once the abutment has been placed and the gum tissues have healed, the prosthetic appliance is ready to be placed.
Different Dental Implant Systems and Components
As dental implants have become both more popular and more diverse – capable of solving number of tooth loss problems – an increasing number of dental implant systems have become available to the dentists and oral surgeons that use and recommend them to their patients. Like most products, both the features and the quality of these systems can vary quite a bit, so it’s best to have an idea of what matters to you in a dental implant. While there is a lot of take in and these decisions are best made in careful consultation with a dentist that you trust, the following section breaks down some of the main aspects of differences in dental implant systems, providing you with a baseline of knowledge to bring to your conversations moving forward.
Standard vs Mini Dental Implants
Because the structural component of the dental implant – the implant fixture – is sunk down into the jawbone, it is important that the patient have a sufficient amount of healthy bone mass to accept the fixture. In some cases, particularly those in which a patient has been replacing their teeth with conventional dentures for a number of years, bone loss might have already occurred to the extent to which there is simply not enough available tissue for standard dental implants.
In these cases, bone grafting can increase the amount of healthy bone mass enough to make standard dental implants possible, but today there are also mini dental implants to solve this particular problem. While there is still a baseline quantity of healthy and available bone tissue necessary for the use of mini dental implants, the smaller profile of the implant fixtures utilized in this system make dental implants possible for a wider number of patients without the time and expense of bone grafting.
Titanium vs Zirconium Implants
The two materials that are typically used in dental implants are titanium and zirconium. Both excellent materials with a number of benefits, the choice to use one or another usually comes down to known patient allergies or sensitivities.
Since the earliest days of dental implants, titanium has been the preferred choice due to its strength and biocompatibility. Used in an alloy versus in its pure form, titanium dental implants are in fact composed of a mixture of metals. Because it is a material that works well for most patients and is also cost effective, it continues to be popular today.
Zirconium is also a popular option. It began to be used in patients that had an allergy or sensitivity to titanium, but since then continues to be used by a wide variety of patients due to its comparable strength and biocompatibility as well as its natural looking appearance. While titanium implants are created in two or three separate pieces, zirconium implants are made in one single piece. This can be preferable to some patients as it reduces the number of visits and interventions, but it also results in decreased options for repair or replacement.
Fixed vs Removable Dental Implants
Dental implants of all kinds can be made to be fixed (permanent) or removable, depending on individual choice. While some prefer being able to remove their implant-supported bridges or dentures at night to clean them thoroughly, others prefer to remove this element of maintenance and upkeep, simply brushing and flossing their teeth twice daily to keep their prosthetic teeth clean. This decision, as all others in this process, should be made in careful consultation with one’s dentist to ensure that all of the pros and cons are carefully weighed out.
Stock vs Custom Components
One factor that will have direct impact on the financial bottom line of the dental implant system that one chooses is stock versus custom components. While custom made pieces are preferable when they are highly visible in the mouth for aesthetic reasons, they are often not worth the cost if and when they are placed further back in the mouth. Stock pieces are no less functional or dependable than custom pieces and their use can save a lot of money, as well, so be sure to talk to your dentist about the need for custom pieces in your own individual circumstances.
Surgically Guided Implants
Finally, surgically guided implants are a full system that are worth considering. In the creation and placement of surgically guided implants, your dentist will take a precise impression of your mouth that captures all of your unique oral anatomy with a high degree of detail. This impression will then be used to plan the surgical installation sites and place the implant fixtures themselves. This system increases the number of visits ahead of surgery, but it can also shorten surgical times and help pinpoint the best installation sites. It can be particularly beneficial system for those who need to very carefully target pockets of healthy bone mass.
Evaluation and Preparation
With all of the factors to be taken into consideration, planning for dental implants can be quite extensive and should include a good deal of thought and care. Be sure to work with a dentist or oral surgeon that you trust, and one that is willing to talk you through the process and help guide your decision making. Along the way, you should also consider the reputation of the company whose products your dentist or oral surgeon will be using. Don’t be afraid to ask why they have chosen to work with this company in particular, and what it is about their systems or components that they appreciate. This will help give you a fuller understanding of their thought process and preferences, as well as a better understanding of the dental implants that they are recommending.
As you go through the planning process, which will include a thorough examination of your mouth and any existing teeth that you have, possibly with the help of X rays or other imagine, remember that you can and should ask questions along the way. Giving honest input about your preferences, concerns, and desires will only improve both the process and the outcomes.