f you even end up with a missing tooth or teeth, you’re mostly likely going to be concerned with replacing them. This is where dental implants come in. Implants are structural elements placed directly into the bone onto which crowns (basically false teeth) can be attached. They are essentially artificial tooth roots. They must be implanted by dentists, oral surgeons, periodontists, or prosthodontists specially trained in the procedure since it is fairly involved. Let’s take a quick look at the basic implant types.
Root Form Endosseous Implants
These implants are small root like fixtures and are usually made of titanium. These are technically known as root-form endosseous (meaning in-bone) implants, meaning that they imitate to some degree the shape of an actual tooth root, and are the most common type. There must be enough width and depth to the jaw bone in order for this type of implant to be successfully anchored. If not enough bone is available, bone grafts may be necessary. These may be taken from somewhere else in the mouth or from other areas of the body such as the hip.
In terms of shape, roots forms are threaded cylindrical structures that are usually self tapping. That is, they create their own threads as they are turned into a pilot hole drilled in the mandible (jaw bone). After this is complete a portion extends out of the jaw bone and the rest is embedded in it. This protruding portion is the post onto which a crown will be attached.
Plate Form Endosseous Implants
If there is not enough width to the jaw bone for a root form implant, and bone grafting is not recommended or easily feasible, plate form implants can be an alternative. These implants can be fixed into a narrow mandible by virtue of their flatness. Bone incisions are made that allow the implant to be inserted. As in the case of the root form implants, it protrudes out of the jaw bone allowing a post onto which the crown can be secured.
Sub Periosteal Implant
These are used when there is not enough bone either in terms of width or depth for an endosseous implant. These implants are supporting structures attached to the jaw bone, sometimes with screws. They can then be used as structural bases for crowns or bridges. They are indirectly fabricated in a dental lab using either an impression-mold of the jaw bone or CAT (computed axial tomography) scans.
These types of implants were much more common in the past. They are still used by some dentists, but have largely fallen out of favor.
Cost
Implants are generally fairly expensive. A range of about $1250 to $3000 is fairly common for the most common procedure types. However if more extensive work is necessary, say on both the top and bottom jaws, costs can run as high as $20000 to $30000!
In the majority of cases, as noted above, root form implants are the best option. Remember, though, to get a variety of opinions and always look at the background and references of any dentist you consider going to for dental implants.
