Dental implants are
artificial tooth
replacements that were
first developed half a
century ago by a Swedish
scientist named
Per-Ingvar Branemark.
Implants arose from the
patient’s need to secure
loose-fitting dentures.
Since the advent of the
implant, engineering and
enhancements to the
implant have enabled
dentists to expand the
implant’s usefulness,
including the
replacement of missing
or lost teeth. Today,
implant techniques
provide a wide range of
tooth replacement
solutions including:
-
Single Tooth
Replacement
-
Anterior Replacement
-
Posterior
Replacement
-
Full Upper
Replacement
There are
three main types of
implants:
The root implant—by far,
the most popular—is the
most effective because
it mirrors the size and
shape of a patient’s
natural tooth. This
implant is often as
strong as the patient’s
original tooth. The
implant or artificial
root is placed into the
jawbone under local
anesthesia, then allowed
to heal and integrate
with the bone. Once the
healing process is
completed and the
jawbone is attached to
the implant, the patient
returns to the dental
office where the implant
is fitted with the new
tooth. This process
generally takes anywhere
from three to eight
months.
The plate form implant
is ideal in situations
where the jawbone is not
wide enough to properly
support a root implant.
The plate form implant
is long and thin, unlike
the root implant, and
anchors into thin
jawbones. It is inserted
the same way as a root
implant. In certain
cases, the plate form
implant is immediately
fitted with the
restoration without
waiting for the healing
process to run its
course.
The subperiosteal
implant is used when the
jawbone has receded to
the point where it can
no longer support a
permanent implant.
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