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So Many Options With Dental Implants!

In decades gone by, those who had lost teeth had only a few options. They could get removable dentures, dental bridgework (in certain situations), or “just live with it.” Then came the discovery of how titanium can safely and firmly fuse to human bone tissue via osseointegration – and modern dental implants were born.
But the dental implant industry hasn’t stood still for the past 30 years. It has developed, improved, and expanded. Today, dental implants are quite common, more affordable than ever, and available in multiple different forms. Read on to learn more!

1. Basic Dental Implants
Your ordinary dental implants come in many brands, shapes, and sizes. The choices are numerous, but they all work basically the same way. A titanium implant rod affixes to the bone matter below where your natural tooth used to sit.

There are two types of implants as to how the titanium attaches to the bone: endosteal and subperiosteal. Endosteal implants go into a small hole bored into the bone, while subperiosteal implants sit on top of the bone.

Either way, the titanium will firmly fuse to the bone matter in a few months’ time. That means taking it easy on your new teeth until they have fully healed – but using them just like natural teeth thereafter.

2. Same-day Implants
Same-day dental implants, also called immediate-load implants, are another great option available today. This allows you to have implants placed in one sitting, saving you time and helping you avoid the dental chair – if that’s something you have a phobia about.

You do have to have sufficient bone below the implant and enough healthy gum tissue to immediately surround it. And you need to lay off hard bites until it heals more fully. In some cases, a temporary crown is placed, while in others, the permanent dental crown is immediately put on.

You can also get an extraction done and a same-day implant put in the extracted tooth’s place at the same time.

3. All-on-4 Implants
When you are missing a whole jaw or mouth full of teeth – or nearly so, all on fours dental implants are your best tooth restoration option.

Four implant rods support an arch for each jaw (so 8 implants total for full mouth tooth replacement). You can also attach dental bridges to one or more implants for smaller-scale restorations.

There are many benefits of all-of-4 implants over traditional removable dentures, including eliminating gum pain, periodic re-fitting, and special maintenance needs associated with traditional dentures. Plus, you can eat, speak, work, exercise, and play 100% normally with all-of-4 implants just like with natural teeth.

4. Mini Dental Implants
A somewhat smaller, narrower version of implants are called mini dental implants (MDIs). The surgery is less invasive during placement for these thinner-profile implant rods. For those who only need one or two implants in a back-of-the-mouth or relatively low-use location, minis are a good option.

With mini implants, a ball-shaped end is at the top of the implant rod, to which the dental crown is attached. This differs somewhat from regular implants but works just as well.

To learn more about the many different options with modern dental implants or to schedule an in-office appointment with a local periodontist, contact Ormond Beach Periodontics & Implant Dentistry today in the Central Florida Region.

Located in Beautiful Ormond Beach

Ormond Beach Periodontics and Implant Dentistry is conveniently located off of Nova Road in Ormond Beach, Florida. We help seniors, adults, and teenagers smile with confidence.