Dental Implant Types for Tooth Replacement

    PHOENIX, AZ, November 04, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Missing teeth can have negative affects on our smiles' appearance and on our self-esteem. A full set of well-aligned teeth suggests that the person bearing those teeth is intelligent and pleasant. Replacing any missing teeth boosts confidence and increases the likelihood that you will smile, but, most importantly, replacing missing teeth improves your health.

There are several options for replacing teeth. The best choice for most people is dental implants. Dental implants are a great choice because the implant replaces the missing tooth's root and holds the replacement tooth in place.

Replacing the tooth's root fills the gap between your natural teeth in the jaw to prevent the jawbone from collapsing, the gums from shrinking, and the neighboring teeth from shifting. In addition to these advantages, there are three types of dental implants to meet everyone's needs.

The dental implant types are:

• The root form dental implant
• The plate form dental implant
• The subperiosteal dental implant

The Root Form Dental Implant
For most people, the root form dental implant is the best choice to replace a missing tooth. The implant is usually made of surgical steal and holds one dental crown per implant. The implant is placed in the jawbone and requires about three months to heal. The jawbone will grow around the implant during the healing time to create a bonded and secure foundation for the dental crown.

Patients who have a thick and healthy jawbone are great candidates for the root form dental implant. Bone grafting is available to patients who have thin jawbones and qualify for grafting. If the patient does not have a thick jawbone and cannot have bone grafting, the other two dental implant options are available.

The Plate Form Dental Implant
The plate form dental implant is a good choice for patients with thin jawbones. This dental implant is thin and long as its name implies. It is placed in the jawbone and requires about three months for the jawbone to heal around it. Because it is long and thin, it will need to be placed in a larger area of the jawbone than a root form dental implant.

The Subperiosteal Dental Implant
Some patients have jawbones that are thin and cannot support the plate form dental implant. For these patients, the subperiosteal dental implant is the perfect solution to replace missing teeth. This implant is long and thin like the plate form implant, but it is not placed in the jawbone. The subperiosteal implant is placed next to the jawbone under the gum tissue. This implant requires less healing time than the other two types because it does not need the support of the jawbone. It is custom made to fit exactly around your jawbone and comfortably under your gum tissue.

All three types of dental implants can replace one or more missing teeth. You will want to schedule a consultation with an experienced cosmetic dentist to find out which dental implant type is right for your needs.

For a great resource on dental implants, please visit the website of Winterholler Dentistry serving the Phoenix and Scottsdale areas. You will find valuable information about dental implants and cosmetic dentistry.

Website: http://www.azdentalcare.net

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