Smiles are more than just surface deep. An AACD survey recently revealed that almost all adults believed that a healthy smile is socially important. But for some of us, smiles are not naturally perfect. We may inherit issues with our teeth that are impossible to avoid. Other times, trauma causes our smiles to look less than ideal. More often still, we simply don’t take caring for our teeth very seriously and must deal with the resulting damage at one point or another.
People need dental implants at many different points in life. Not all people get tooth implants in their old age, as if often the perception with similar solutions like dentures. But this solution is not one that should be undertaken lightly. You should speak to your dentist seriously about the different types of dental implants available before making a final decision. That’s right, there are different types of dental implants available. Let’s explore them below.
Subperiosteal Implants
The first type of dental implant we’ll explore is the subperiosteal implant. You probably won’t be offered these dental implants first. They are not often used in this day and age. In the past, they primarily were used to hold dentures in place when the patient lacked sufficient bone height.
Subperiosteal implants are essentially placed within the gum tissue, on the jawbone. The post of the metal implants will surface out of the gum enough to anchor the dentures in place. The benefit of these types of implants is that they typically take just two appointments to put in place, and the overall treatment plan is much shorter than it would be with many other types of dental implants. But they are not considered very stable in comparison to their main alternatives.
Endosteal Implant
The main alternative to subperiosteal implants, and indeed the most common type of dental implant today, is the endosteal dental implant. This implant will often act in place of a bridge or typical removable dentures. They are used with screws, though there are different types of screws that can be used with these implants as well. These are smooth, bladed, or threaded types of implants.
The treatment process for endosteal implants is more intense than it would be for subperiosteal implants. Essentially, the screws are put in place first. It will then take a couple of months before the tissue begins to heal around the screws, putting them in place as artificial roots for the tooth plants. They are considered more stable and more natural, even if the healing process takes more time.
There are other factors that affect the quality of the implants over time. These include the size of the implants, the coatings, and the connectors used for them. But when it comes down to it, you will most likely have a decision between these two main types of implants; and one implant is usually going to work better for most patients than the other.
Nonetheless, make sure that you discuss the various options available with your dentist before making a final decision. The more informed the decision, the better it tends to work out!
