Dental implants, as you may be aware, are tiny devices that we place inside of your gum, and often your jawbone, when we are replacing a tooth you have lost. Very few people can truly appreciate just how much better than anything else, available, the dental implants actually are. They are superior because they are based on the concept of strength and stability, which allows you to continue with your life without interruption and without making undue changes. The dental implants we use today are designed to perfectly mimic the root of a tooth. Since the root is the basis upon which a tooth finds is stability, the tiny titanium screw is inserted into the jawbone to provide that same level of stability. There is an additional benefit to this. The root has a very close and symbiotic relationship with the jawbone, which works to strengthen the tooth. The insertion of a dental implant into the place of the root allows the titanium screw to take the place of the root and maintain the symbiotic relationship with the bone as well. For you this means that you will be able to eat whatever you want, subject to the conditions of normal teeth, and never have to worry about extra steps to clean your dental implants.

These tiny dental implants have actually been gaining in popularity as the public begins to realize that dental implants are a way to keep your teeth for a very long time. Though they have been around for centuries, never before have dental implants been so widely requested. With this popularity comes a lot of information for patients to read. On the one hand, this is a good thing, allowing us to focus on the finer points and work to understand your goals for your dental implants. On the other hand, there is the challenge of misinformation, or limited understanding, which is never good for a medical procedure.

One point that most people are not aware of is that there are actually two distinct types of dental implants that we use. We base the decision on which one to use on the amount of bone mass you have in your jawbone and on its ability to sustain a dental implant. Since dental implants rely on a symbiotic relationship with your jawbone, it is very important that the jaw can provide the security and stability that the new tooth needs. For most people, this is not a problem. In the traditional cases, we use what is known as an Endosteal implant. The Endosteal implant is basically a cylindrical implant, more often than not a screw, which is placed directly into the bone. However, there are some instances where this is not an option. People who have lost bone density in the jawbone, need to either have bone reconstructive surgery on the jaw or have a different kind of dental implants placed. Known as a Subperiosteal implant, we offer this kind of implant. Subperiosteal implants are placed in the gum but immediately above the jawbone so as to provide security without further compromising the already weakened jawbone.