There are a lot of different things to think about when it comes to dental implants. Of course, our dentists will provide you with all the information you need to know in your initial consultation, but it never hurts to educate yourself beforehand. Many patients in San Francisco aren’t aware that there are multiple types of dental implants. Implants are made with different materials, although the most common material is titanium. Some dental implants are placed in the jawbone, while others are on or slightly above the jawbone. We are going to talk about the different types of dental implants depending on whether you need a single tooth replacement, multiple teeth, or a full arch treatment. Dental Implants are categorized based on what type of procedure your doctor uses to place them – either two-stage or single-stage.
Two-Stage Dental Implants
A two-stage procedure involves the surgical placement of a titanium implant into the jawbone and the surrounding tissue to be sutured. Following surgery, your jawbone will gradually bond to the implant, as it stabilizes, which takes a few months. Once your implant is secure, your San Francisco oral surgeon then performs a second, minor procedure to attach the abutment and a permanent artificial tooth. The result is a beautiful, brand new, artificial, permanent tooth that is natural-looking and functions just like a natural tooth.
Endosteal (Endosseous) Implants
Depending on the location of your missing teeth, it’s very possible a fixed bridge will be needed to replace multiple teeth. Endosteals are the type of implants that are used most frequently for two-stage procedures. Endosteal dental implants are used as an alternative to a removable denture or a bridge. Endosseous implants include screw types (threaded), cylinder types (smooth), or bladed types.
Single-Stage Dental Implants
During a single-stage procedure, a longer implant is surgically placed into your jawbone and the top of the implant is level with your gum tissue. Next, your San Fransisco oral surgeon closes the gum tissue using sutures but still allowing the head of the dental implant exposed. After a few months, when the wound site has healed, the abutment and a temporary tooth are attached which eliminates the need for a second surgery to expose the top.
Subperiosteal Implants
These types of dental implants are placed directly on the jawbone within the gum tissue. The metal post is exposed to hold the dental restoration and is primarily used for single-stage dental implant surgery. Subperiosteal implants are mainly utilized to secure dentures, holding them in place for San Francisco patients who don’t have adequate bone height. SF Oral Surgery specializes in providing dental implants to our patients in San Francisco who need them. We want you to have a healthy and happy smile you can be proud of, and it’s not possible to do so when you have missing teeth.
There’s no type of dental implant we can’t place successfully, so contact us today to set up a free consultation to discuss your options with our experienced doctors.
