The Types of Dental Implants Explained: A Detailed Guide

Someone who has lost their teeth might feel self-conscious talking or smiling around others. They can also develop poor eating habits when food is difficult to eat. This can lead to a variety of health issues.

Thankfully, there are multiple types of dental implants that can provide people with a total restoration option for missing teeth. Dental implants are more than just dentures.

They are able to provide a complete replacement of the tooth, acting as artificial roots to support full function. Dental implants can also prevent or stop jawbone loss.

When you replace missing tooth roots, you can provide patients with the stability and strength that is needed to chew the foods that they love, without struggling. Also, these implants can help to maintain and stimulate the jawbone, which will help support facial features and prevent bone loss.

Dental implants are so popular that the industry is expected to grow by more than eleven percent over the next several years. So keep on reading and we’ll walk you through the different types of dental implants.

Different Types of Dental Implants

With each kind of dental implant, there are various sizes, connectors, and coating options that your provider will pick for you. While there are multiple methods for installing implants, the different kinds will usually fall into one of two categories.

Endosteal (Endosseous) Implants

This kind of implant is the most common type. Endosteal implants are sometimes used as an alternative to a removable denture or bridge.

These kinds of implants include bladed types, cylinder types (smooth), or screw types (threaded). Your provider can help you decide which kind of dental implant is going to be best for your mouth. Either way, these kinds of implants are effective, safe, and extremely popular among dental implant patients.

The treatment for endosteal implants starts by first drilling into the jawbone. A titanium screw is then inserted and acts as an artificial root. Before the treatment is completed, you will need to wait for the bone and soft tissue to heal around the root. This can take several months to complete.

These kinds of implants are appreciated for having one of the most natural-feeling and stable results.

You will need to have sufficient jawbone density and health to undergo this procedure. If your jawbone ridge is too narrow either naturally or due to something like disease or trauma, then you may not be able to get an endosteal implant.

If this is the case, then you may need to go with a subperiosteal implant instead.

Subperiosteal Implants

These days, subperiosteal are not utilized very often. There were primarily used in the past to hold dentures in place in people who had insufficient bone height.

When these implants are used, they’re installed on the jawbone within the gum tissue. The metal implant post is exposed through the gums so that it can hold the denture.

When it comes to treatment for subperiosteal implants, the procedure is done in two appointments. It is usually a lot shorter than the endosteal procedure.

Unfortunately, subperiosteal implants are not as stable as endosteal implants. This is because subperiosteal implants don’t go into the jawbone. Instead, they rest on top of the bone and are held in place only by the soft tissue.

This will still give you more support than dentures without any kind of implant. However, it’s going to be less stable than if you received a complete endosteal implant system.

Dental Implant Coatings and Connectors

There are dozens of companies out there that make dental implants as well as the materials used to make the implants. Because of this, dentists have many options for finding the proper treatment to suit the needs of each specific patient. Make sure to find out more about reputable dentists who offer dental implants.

Coatings

There are many different types of surface treatments or coating types that your implants can have. While the actual implant is probably going to be made out of titanium, the outer surface can certainly vary.

Coatings are important because they increase the roughness of the surface. The implant will then be able to seamlessly heal and become stronger than it was before. A surface that is porous will contribute to more bone contact than a surface that is made out of machined titanium.

There are many different types of dental implant coatings out there. Possible surfaces include:

• Zirconia
• plasma-sprayed hydroxyapatite coating
• plasma-sprayed titanium surface
• microgroove titanium surface
• grit-blasted roughened surface
• acid-etched roughened surface

Although Zirconia is a metal, it is actually a transition metal. It is usually very white and resembles ceramic. This is different from titanium and other metals that are colored.

Dental Implant Connectors

All kinds of dental implants are going to need the screw or implant to be in the jaw and will need to be attached to the abutment on top. There are three main types of connectors.

First, there are internal hex connectors. This looks like a hexagon and is an opening in the implant head. The abutment is screwed into the opening.

An external hex connector is also shaped like a hexagon. This kind of connector sits on top of the implant head instead of inside of it.

Lastly, there are internal octagon connectors. These are shaped like an octagon and have an opening in the implant head, similar to the internal hex connectors.

The Importance of Knowing About the Types of Dental Implants

Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of the different types of dental implants. This new knowledge should be able to help you make smarter decisions about your own dental health.

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