Types of Dental Implants
Dental implants have come a long way, and they are much more comfortable than you would think, but then again if you have missing teeth – anything is more comfortable than nothing at all! There are four different types of dental implants, which we will be going over below, as well as steps for the dentist to take for you to get the dental implants. It should be noted however, that this is not a one size fits all treatment – in some cases you might not be able to get certain implants due to things like bone loss, so its a good idea to talk to your dentist to see which is the best option for your needs and your specific oral needs.
Single Tooth Replacement
This is an option for people that need a single tooth to be replaced with the implant. Before the dentist takes the time and your money to implant the tooth, you will first be examined. They will take one or more x-rays of your mouth and where the tooth implant will go. Next, the dentist will install the implant and a temporary tooth. This is good, especially if its a front tooth because you will not have to go without a tooth in that space. The temporary tooth will allow you to eat and will function like a normal tooth. The implant will take a few months to integrate into the jawbone before the next step is taken. In the next step, your temporary tooth will be replaced with a permanent ceramic tooth (a crown). This is a tooth that is installed for life, and no additional treatment should be needed. The new ceramic tooth should fit, function and look just like a natural tooth. Its important that you stay up with the maintenance on this tooth and the gums around it and clean your teeth as you normally would, unless your dentist says otherwise.
Multiple Tooth Replacement
In this example, we will assume that multiple teeth near the back end of the mouth are missing. The best option for this is to use a fixed bridge. The bridge is one piece, and it will contain all of the missing teeth that you need to be replaced. The bridge is then anchored on a dental implant. The dental implants will be installed on your first or second visit to the doctor – this can usually be done in one single session instead of over time because it's a pretty easy installation. In some cases, a temporary bridge may be placed on the dental implant so that you can eat almost immediately after leaving the dentist. The implant, like with the one above, will need to integrate into your jaw bone. Once this happens, the temporary bridge is removed and its replaced with a permanent bridge – this is usually done 1-2 months after the implant installation. The bridge will allow you to handle the pressure of biting down and chewing that your natural teeth used to, and it will allow you to go back to eating pretty much anything you want.
Full Arch Replacement
This will install a fixed bridge – full arch, top and/or bottom. This is an option that many people are choosing over traditional dentures because they look more like real teeth (you can choose sizes, colors, etc.), but they also have a very close similarity to your natural teeth in that they can allow you to chew your food once again like real teeth. Also, unlike traditional dentures that sometimes fall out these will not. Lastly, people prefer these to traditional dentures because unlike traditional dentures that cover your hard palate (the roof of your mouth), full arch replacement sometimes called snap in dentures do not cover your hard palate. Some people say that when you have traditional dentures that cover the palate, it can keep you from tasting food as well as you could before and in some rare cases the covering on the hard palate with traditional dentures can sometimes make people gag. Before anything else is done, your dentist will most likely take x-rays on ALL of your teeth, including your jawbone, and do a few tests such as a bone density test. The bone density test is done to find out where the lining of the bone is along your jaw line for the implants to be placed, but its also a good way to your dentist to see if your bone is strong enough to handle the implants. Your dentist will most likely also give you a treatment form explaining everything that will need to be done (such as tooth extractions) along with an overall price. Once everything is agreed upon regarding the treatment and the cost, the dentist will then make an appointment with you to install the implants. Some dentists only use two implants while others use 5. The implants will be placed in the jawbone. Once done, your doctor may ask you if you would like a temporary fit of temporary teeth – this will allow you to chew while your teeth are missing. These temporary teeth should function just like regular teeth. Depending on how well your jaw bones integrate with the implants, could take a few weeks, on up to a few months, the next step is to install the fixed bridge. This is a good option for people that have all of the tops, all of the bottom or ALL of their teeth missing. The final bridge which will be shaped to your mouth will be installed onto the implants. Your new teeth should be hard to tell from natural teeth, and they should normally function like regular teeth do. Often when people get these fixed bridges, they have overwhelming feelings about how they make them feel and look in a positive manner.
Single Tooth Replacement
This is an option for people that need a single tooth to be replaced with the implant. Before the dentist takes the time and your money to implant the tooth, you will first be examined. They will take one or more x-rays of your mouth and where the tooth implant will go. Next, the dentist will install the implant and a temporary tooth. This is good, especially if its a front tooth because you will not have to go without a tooth in that space. The temporary tooth will allow you to eat and will function like a normal tooth. The implant will take a few months to integrate into the jawbone before the next step is taken. In the next step, your temporary tooth will be replaced with a permanent ceramic tooth (a crown). This is a tooth that is installed for life, and no additional treatment should be needed. The new ceramic tooth should fit, function and look just like a natural tooth. Its important that you stay up with the maintenance on this tooth and the gums around it and clean your teeth as you normally would, unless your dentist says otherwise.
Multiple Tooth Replacement
In this example, we will assume that multiple teeth near the back end of the mouth are missing. The best option for this is to use a fixed bridge. The bridge is one piece, and it will contain all of the missing teeth that you need to be replaced. The bridge is then anchored on a dental implant. The dental implants will be installed on your first or second visit to the doctor – this can usually be done in one single session instead of over time because it's a pretty easy installation. In some cases, a temporary bridge may be placed on the dental implant so that you can eat almost immediately after leaving the dentist. The implant, like with the one above, will need to integrate into your jaw bone. Once this happens, the temporary bridge is removed and its replaced with a permanent bridge – this is usually done 1-2 months after the implant installation. The bridge will allow you to handle the pressure of biting down and chewing that your natural teeth used to, and it will allow you to go back to eating pretty much anything you want.
Full Arch Replacement
This will install a fixed bridge – full arch, top and/or bottom. This is an option that many people are choosing over traditional dentures because they look more like real teeth (you can choose sizes, colors, etc.), but they also have a very close similarity to your natural teeth in that they can allow you to chew your food once again like real teeth. Also, unlike traditional dentures that sometimes fall out these will not. Lastly, people prefer these to traditional dentures because unlike traditional dentures that cover your hard palate (the roof of your mouth), full arch replacement sometimes called snap in dentures do not cover your hard palate. Some people say that when you have traditional dentures that cover the palate, it can keep you from tasting food as well as you could before and in some rare cases the covering on the hard palate with traditional dentures can sometimes make people gag. Before anything else is done, your dentist will most likely take x-rays on ALL of your teeth, including your jawbone, and do a few tests such as a bone density test. The bone density test is done to find out where the lining of the bone is along your jaw line for the implants to be placed, but its also a good way to your dentist to see if your bone is strong enough to handle the implants. Your dentist will most likely also give you a treatment form explaining everything that will need to be done (such as tooth extractions) along with an overall price. Once everything is agreed upon regarding the treatment and the cost, the dentist will then make an appointment with you to install the implants. Some dentists only use two implants while others use 5. The implants will be placed in the jawbone. Once done, your doctor may ask you if you would like a temporary fit of temporary teeth – this will allow you to chew while your teeth are missing. These temporary teeth should function just like regular teeth. Depending on how well your jaw bones integrate with the implants, could take a few weeks, on up to a few months, the next step is to install the fixed bridge. This is a good option for people that have all of the tops, all of the bottom or ALL of their teeth missing. The final bridge which will be shaped to your mouth will be installed onto the implants. Your new teeth should be hard to tell from natural teeth, and they should normally function like regular teeth do. Often when people get these fixed bridges, they have overwhelming feelings about how they make them feel and look in a positive manner.