Types of Dental Implants

If you’ve lost one or multiple teeth, you may be wondering what the best restoration method is to restore your smile. We at Edelweiss Dental Implant Center in Coppell, TX offer a variety of dental implants that not only improve the aesthetics of your smile but also strengthen your underlying jawbone.

Why Replace Missing Teeth?

Replacing missing teeth isn’t just a matter of aesthetics but is essential to your oral health.

• When a tooth is lost, the jaw bone where it stood will quickly begin to resorb or melt, back into the body.The teeth on either side of the remaining gap will also begin to shift, eventually becoming weak and lose themselves.There is no need for dealing with temporary teeth..
• There is less pain, swelling, and bruising after your surgery.
• This creates a domino effect, and as the jawbone resorbs, the face will take on a shrunken and more aged appearance.

Eating certain foods will also become problematic with missing and subsequently weakened teeth. If you have sustained a lost tooth, it’s important that you take proactive steps to restore your smile.

Materials

Titanium and Zirconia Dental implants are typically made of either titanium, zirconia, or a combination of the two. The titanium screw of the implant will easily bond to your jaw bone in a process called osseointegration, thus revitalizing and even strengthening your jaw bone. Titanium implants provide a base for a natural looking tooth restoration called a crown.

Zirconia implants are a tooth-colored alternative to titanium implants, often marketed as non-metal or “ceramic.” Zirconia implants are made of one solid piece and so may be more prone to damage. Zirconia implants are also typically smaller than titanium implants. Patients who require only a single implant, and are concerned with aesthetics, may prefer Zirconia implants.

Single Tooth Implants

Post, Abutment, Restoration Single tooth, titanium, implants are comprised of three parts: the post, the abutment, and the restoration. The implant, which resembles a small screw, is inserted into an opening in the jawbone. The abutment works as a connector, joining the implant post to the crown. The crown is custom made to match the rest of your smile.

Multiple Tooth Implants

Bridge, Denture, All on 4 Multiple tooth implants replace several missing adjacent teeth, up to and including a full arch denture or the popular All-on-4 method. With an implant supported bridge, two implants on either side of a missing tooth serve as anchors for one or more prosthetic teeth.

An implant supported removable denture provides the stimulation needed to retain jaw bone density, allowing patients to maintain their natural face shape and contribute to greater oral health. The denture will fix to the implants but can still be removed daily for cleaning.

The All-on-4 method refers to a system of implant-based restoration that can support a full arch of fixed dentures on only four implants. With this method, patients have the benefits of implants, and a completely restored smile, without the high cost of having each tooth replaced by an individual implant. The All-on-4 method can also replace a full smile in as little as one office visit.