Types of Dental Implants

Endosteal Implants

An endosteal implant is a screw-shaped device that fits directly into the jawbone, replacing the root of a tooth and providing a stable platform for a crown or bridge to be attached. Endosteal implants are sometimes used when a patient does not have enough bone to support the posts of an implant-supported denture. Since the post is implanted into the jaw, an endosteal implant provides better stability and comfort than a removable partial denture.

Implant-Supported Dentures 

If you are looking for a new way to support your dentures, you may want to consider dental implants. Implant-supported dentures and All-on-4 implant-supported hybrid dentures are two options that can provide a more secure fit than traditional dentures.  

The locator overdenture or an implant-retained denture is a patient removable prosthesis that is supported by dental implants and patient tissue. Here, the denture is retained with an attachment or a locator to the implants. Hence, it is also termed a locator denture.  

A locator denture needs fewer implants than any other option except a traditional denture. This type of option is commonly used for the lower jaw. Here, the best method is to use either two dental implants along with a bar and clip or two individual implants and a denture. 

All-on-4 implant-supported hybrid dentures are similar to implant-supported dentures, but they use four implants. The All-on-4 technique uses implants placed in the jawbone to support an entire arch of false teeth. These implants are placed in the jawbone at strategic points so that they can support the maximum amount of chewing force.  

The Advantages of Dental Implants

• With good oral hygiene, your implant can last for a lifetime. 
• Because dental implants are surgically placed into the jawbone, they stimulate the bone. This helps preserve and maintain the jaw’s structure and prevents bone loss.
• Dental implants help enhance your appearance by providing a complete smile and preventing unwanted wrinkles around your mouth and face due to missing teeth. They give you a more youthful appearance, making you appear and feel younger.
• When you replace missing teeth with dental implants, you also preserve your other teeth as implants prevent the other teeth from shifting out of place to fill in the gaps where the missing natural teeth used to be. 

To learn if you are a good candidate for dental implants, visit Blue Sage Dental at 10354 W Chatfield Ave #100, Littleton, CO 80127, or call (303) 973-1112. Our dentist will be able to discuss your candidacy with you in more detail and help you determine the best course of treatment.