Dental implants are metal frames or posts that dentists surgically position into the jawbone beneath their patients’ gums. Once the dental implants are in place, they allow dentists to mount replacement onto them.

So, how do dental implants exactly work?

Dental implants, because they get fused to your jawbone, provide stable support for artificial teeth. Bridges and dentures that are mounted on dental implants will not shift in or slip out of your mouth. This is an important benefit especially when a person is speaking and eating. The secure fit then definitely helps the bridges and dentures, and even individual crowns that are placed over dental implants. They also feel more natural than conventional dentures or bridges.

For some patients, ordinary dentures and bridges are just not comfortable or sometimes, not even possible, due to poor ridges, sore spots, or gagging. In addition to this, it is a must for ordinary bridges to be attached to teeth on either side of the space due to a missing tooth. One of the advantages of dental implants is that there is no need for adjacent teeth to be ground down or prepared to be able to hold new replacement tooth or teeth in place.

Now, in order for a patient to receive dental implants, they need to have healthy gums as well as adequate bone that will support the implant. Patients should also commit keeping those mentioned structures healthy. How can this be done? By having regular trips to the dentist and practicing meticulous oral hygiene. These good habits are critical if patients want to have a long-term success with their dental implants.

Generally, dental implants are more expensive in comparison to other methods of tooth replacement, but most insurance carriers typically can cover less than 10% of dental fees.

There are two types of dental implants that the American Dental Association (ADA) consider to be safe types of implants. They are as follows:

*Endosteal Implants

This type of implant is surgically implanted directly into the patient’s jawbone. Once the surrounding gum tissue is healed, a second surgery is then needed to be able to connect a post to the original implant. The last stage will involve an artificial tooth or teeth to be attached to the post-individually, or grouped on a denture or bridge.

*Subperiosteal Implant

This type of dental implant consists of a metal frame that is fitted on a patient’s jawbone just below the gum tissue. When the gum heals, the frame then becomes fixed to the jawbone. The posts, which will be attached to the frame, will protrude through the gums. Just like with endosteal dental implants, artificial teeth can now be mounted to those posts.

For more questions on dental implants, you can call our team of experts and we can discuss your inquiries or concerns.