You’ve probably heard that dental implants in Houston are little titanium posts that a dentist surgically places in the jaw — but there’s so much more to the story. Since every patient is different, dental experts have developed a variety of types of implants and implant placement techniques. Thanks to these innovative advances, more people than ever are viable candidates for this tooth replacement method. Let’s talk more about some of these techniques.
The Two Main Types of Implants
When most people talk about dental implants, they are referring to endosteal implants. That is, implants that are placed within the jawbone. They’re very common and provide a long list of benefits for bone health.
The other type of implant is the subperiosteal kind. These are not placed in the bone. Rather, they are placed on the bone. The surgeon opens the gums and inserts a custom, lightweight metal framework. The gums heal over the framework, which eventually serves as the support for new teeth. Subperiosteal implants may be ideal for people who do not have adequate bone density to support endosteal implants.
Bolstering the Bone
If a patient’s tooth loss was fairly recent, not much bone loss may have occurred yet. In these cases, a surgeon may be able to place implants without performing a bone graft. Often, however, a graft is necessary to make sure the jaw has the strength and density to support the new teeth. There are a few different types of bone graft:
- A sinus lift builds up the bone between the sinuses and the mouth.
- A ridge expansion makes the bone a bit wider so it has space to accommodate implants.
- Bone augmentation may involve using growth factors and extra bone to build up the jaw.
These bone procedures are usually performed before implant placement. But in some cases, they may happen at the same time.
Placement Techniques
Traditional dental implant placement requires a long healing period after the implants are placed before the new teeth can be installed. However, there are a few variations on this method:
- All-on-4 implants allow a surgeon to replace an entire arch of teeth with just four to six implants. This technique strategically places the implants to avoid the need for a bone graft.
- Mini implants are like traditional implants, but smaller. They’re often used to support a lower denture and require a shorter healing period than their larger counterparts.
- Teeth in a day allow new teeth to be placed on the implants right away. However, they’re a temporary measure and are replaced later by a permanent prosthesis.
As you can see, there is a lot involved in placing Houston dental implants! If you would like to know which techniques would be best for your case, please consult a skilled oral surgeon.
About the Dentist
Dr. Tom Weil is a highly trained oral surgeon who has been helping his patients discover the benefits of dental implants for decades. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Weil, please contact our office at 713-597-7340.