Types of Dental Implants
![Dental Implants](/uploads/2/5/2/2/25225271/317326_orig.jpg)
A wise person once said, "A smile fits the lock of everyone's heart." What a beautiful sentiment... unless your smile isn't something you want to show. Lost teeth, discolored teeth, gaps in teeth, and more. These are the dental problems that can do a real number on your confidence. A healthy smile is the first thing people notice about you, and if you're not wearing one, that first impression can take a nose dive. Your lifestyle, your social life, and even your business life can be negatively impacted by missing or discolored teeth, and that's just unacceptable. But what are dental implants? Is there more than one type of implant? And, most importantly, what can dental implants do for you? These are some of the most common oral health questions that dentists hear on a regular basis. The most common types of dental implants include endosteal, subperiosteal, root form, plate form, and intramucosal.
Endosteal dental implants
Endosteal means 'located within the bone.' Endosteal implants get implanted into the bone, which makes them stable and secure. They feel a lot like real teeth, and this makes them among the most commonly chosen types of dental implants used in cosmetic dentistry today. Endosteal implants can have titanium screws, metal cylinders, or blades that must be surgically placed the jawbone. This type of implant is considered to be more permanent, which is another reason patients select them. Two of the main types of endosteal implants include root form and plate form.
Root form dental implants
Root form implants are a type of endosteal implant, which means it's located within the bone. Root form implants are often referred to as 'screw-type implants.' The reason for this is that screws are used to hold them into place within the mouth. Root form implants are used for patients whose jawbones are deep enough as well as wide enough to hold them. This enables cosmetic dentists to secure root form implants in place with screws into the jawbone.
Plate form dental implants
Plate form implants and root form implants are similar. However, plate form implants typically are used for dental patients whose jawbones are not wide and/or deep enough to accept root form dental implants. Plate form dental implants are flatter and longer than are root form. This enables the possibility of implanting them into smaller and/or narrower jawbones. In addition, plate form dental implants often are utilized because grafting necessary for root form dental implants also cannot be performed due to narrow jawbone.
Subperiosteal dental implants
Subperiosteal implants go on top of the bone. Subperiosteal means 'beneath the periosteum.' (The periosteum is the dense, fibrous connective tissue that covers bones, except where ligaments attach, and on surfaces of joints.) Subperiosteal implants are placed on top the jawbone. Following this, the metal framework of the implant's posts extrudes through gums in order to hold one or more prosthetic teeth in place. Subperiosteal implants often are used on patients who can't take dentures for one reason or another. Candidates for subperiosteal implants often have minimal bone height, which means they may not be able to accept endosteal implants.
Intramucosal dental implants
Although they're pretty popular in cosmetic dentistry these days, intramucosal implants aren't as favored as root form or plate form dental implants. Intramucosal implants aren't considered the traditional dental implants. However, they are still considered a type of implant. They're actually considered more of an insert than an actual implant. They're generally used in combination with dentures as attachments to gums in order to help secure dentures in place. Intramucosal dental implants require a procedure that will create indentations in the roof of the mouth. This is done to attach intramucosal inserts to the gum portion of the dentures in order to secure and stabilize into place.
You can't unlock anyone's heart with your smile if you're not smiling because your teeth are in disrepair. Thankfully, there are dental implants to help restore your smile to its original beauty. Dental implants are worn by more than a hundred million people worldwide. And the great thing about them? If you don't know they're there, you won't know they're there. Dental implants are so popular in cosmetic dentistry these days because they have the power to restore not just your teeth, but your beautiful smile and your confidence. And, seriously, what could be more important than smiling?
Endosteal dental implants
Endosteal means 'located within the bone.' Endosteal implants get implanted into the bone, which makes them stable and secure. They feel a lot like real teeth, and this makes them among the most commonly chosen types of dental implants used in cosmetic dentistry today. Endosteal implants can have titanium screws, metal cylinders, or blades that must be surgically placed the jawbone. This type of implant is considered to be more permanent, which is another reason patients select them. Two of the main types of endosteal implants include root form and plate form.
Root form dental implants
Root form implants are a type of endosteal implant, which means it's located within the bone. Root form implants are often referred to as 'screw-type implants.' The reason for this is that screws are used to hold them into place within the mouth. Root form implants are used for patients whose jawbones are deep enough as well as wide enough to hold them. This enables cosmetic dentists to secure root form implants in place with screws into the jawbone.
Plate form dental implants
Plate form implants and root form implants are similar. However, plate form implants typically are used for dental patients whose jawbones are not wide and/or deep enough to accept root form dental implants. Plate form dental implants are flatter and longer than are root form. This enables the possibility of implanting them into smaller and/or narrower jawbones. In addition, plate form dental implants often are utilized because grafting necessary for root form dental implants also cannot be performed due to narrow jawbone.
Subperiosteal dental implants
Subperiosteal implants go on top of the bone. Subperiosteal means 'beneath the periosteum.' (The periosteum is the dense, fibrous connective tissue that covers bones, except where ligaments attach, and on surfaces of joints.) Subperiosteal implants are placed on top the jawbone. Following this, the metal framework of the implant's posts extrudes through gums in order to hold one or more prosthetic teeth in place. Subperiosteal implants often are used on patients who can't take dentures for one reason or another. Candidates for subperiosteal implants often have minimal bone height, which means they may not be able to accept endosteal implants.
Intramucosal dental implants
Although they're pretty popular in cosmetic dentistry these days, intramucosal implants aren't as favored as root form or plate form dental implants. Intramucosal implants aren't considered the traditional dental implants. However, they are still considered a type of implant. They're actually considered more of an insert than an actual implant. They're generally used in combination with dentures as attachments to gums in order to help secure dentures in place. Intramucosal dental implants require a procedure that will create indentations in the roof of the mouth. This is done to attach intramucosal inserts to the gum portion of the dentures in order to secure and stabilize into place.
You can't unlock anyone's heart with your smile if you're not smiling because your teeth are in disrepair. Thankfully, there are dental implants to help restore your smile to its original beauty. Dental implants are worn by more than a hundred million people worldwide. And the great thing about them? If you don't know they're there, you won't know they're there. Dental implants are so popular in cosmetic dentistry these days because they have the power to restore not just your teeth, but your beautiful smile and your confidence. And, seriously, what could be more important than smiling?