The Different Types of Dental Implants

Dental implants are the pinnacle of tooth replacement options in terms of durability, function, and aesthetics. They improve not only your smile but also your bone health. They help restore lost bone due to missing teeth, helping restore skin that may be sagging from your face due to bone loss.


Dental implants are mainly a replacement for your tooth roots with a fixture that holds a fake tooth. Despite this simple outlook, there are several types available. You can select one based on the state of your mouth, your budget, and your preferences. There are two categories for dividing dental implants: basic forms and different types.


 

Basic Forms of Dental Implants



Dental implants come in two basic forms—endosteal implants and subperiosteal implants.


 

Endosteal Implants



The endosteal implant is the most prevalent form of dental implant available. It is the main reference for the definition of dental implants given earlier. 


Endosteal implants comprise three main parts: a titanium screw root, connector or abutment, and dental crown. The screw root is implanted in the jawbone, with the connector providing a place for the artificial tooth to attach.


 

Subperiosteal Implants



This is the less common of the two and is rarely recommended by dentists. It involves placing a metal post under your gum over your jawbone. Part of the post sticks above your gum to hold the fake tooth in place. These implants are an option if regular dentures do not work or you have insufficient bone density for an endosteal implant.


 

Types of Dental Implants



The following four types of dental implants derive from the two main forms, especially the endosteal implant. Each addresses a specific type of oral issue.

 

Single-tooth Implant



A single-tooth implant, as the name suggests, is an implant to replace one missing tooth. A missing tooth usually does not significantly impact your oral health, but you do not want your teeth shifting to fill in the gap, consequently creating other gaps. It usually requires a single screw and dental crown.

 

Implant-supported Bridge



These types of implants are ideal if you are missing multiple teeth. Instead of using your natural teeth to support the bridge, the dentist implants a titanium root that works as the support. Like other dental implants, it improves function and prevents other teeth from shifting to fill in the spaces.

 

All-on-4® Dental Implants



These implants are among the most recent advancements in implantology. They work well when you have multiple missing teeth or an entire arch of missing teeth. Dentists can use this type to replace missing teeth on both the upper and lower jaw. The dentist will only need to implant four titanium posts per arch to hold all the teeth in place.

 

3-on-6™ Dental Implants



These implants utilize two principles similar to implant-supported dentures and All-on-4® implants. 


Six dental implants create support for three different dental bridges. These implants work for people with multiple missing teeth.


 

Other Procedures



When getting dental implants, you may require some additional procedures to ensure the success of the implants. Here are the others you may need, depending on your unique situation.

 

  • Sinus lift
     

  • Bone graft or augmentation
     

  • Ridge expansion



For more on the different types of dental implants, visit Tulane Family Dentistry at our office in New Orleans, Louisiana. Call (504) 226-5740 to book an appointment today.

none 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM BY APPOINTMENT CLOSED dentist # # #