Missing teeth can affect both your confidence and overall health. Modern dentistry offers an excellent solution: dental implants. These permanent replacements look, feel, and function just like natural teeth, making them the most recommended tooth replacement.
Give us a call at (610) 435-6161 to determine how dental implants can help you!
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are titanium posts surgically inserted into the jawbone to replace missing tooth roots.
They provide a strong foundation for fixed or removable replacement teeth that are designed to match your natural teeth.
Unlike dentures or bridges, implants fuse with your jawbone through a process called osseointegration, preventing bone loss and preserving facial structure.
The typical dental implant consists of three parts. The implant post serves as the root replacement. The abutment is a connector that supports and holds the dental crown. The crown is the third and final piece. It is the visible part of the tooth, made from porcelain or ceramic.
Dental implants offer numerous benefits over other tooth replacement options, including:
| • | Superior stability and comfort |
| • | Preservation of jawbone integrity |
| • | No impact on adjacent teeth |
| • | Improved speech and chewing function |
| • | A natural appearance |
| • | Impressive longevity - often lasting 25 years or more with proper care |
What Are Single Tooth Implants?
As the name suggests, single-tooth implants replace individual missing teeth.
This is the most common type of dental implant procedure and is ideal for patients who have lost one or several teeth in different areas of the mouth.
Single-tooth implants maintain the integrity of adjacent teeth by eliminating the need to grind them down, as would be necessary with traditional bridges. They also prevent neighboring teeth from shifting into the gap created by the missing tooth.
For patients with good overall oral health and adequate bone density, the success rate for single tooth implants exceeds 95 percent. With proper care, these implants can last a lifetime.
What Are All-on-4 Dental Implants?
All-on-4 dental implants use just four strategically placed implants to support an entire arch of teeth (upper or lower), providing a permanent solution that's more stable than traditional dentures.
The procedure involves placing two straight implants in the front of the jaw and two angled implants in the back.
This arrangement maximizes contact with available bone and provides excellent support for a full arch of prosthetic teeth.
The key advantages of the All-on-4 system include:
| • | Fewer implants needed (four to six per arch instead of eight to 10) |
| • | Avoidance of bone grafting in many cases |
| • | Faster treatment time (often completed in one day) |
| • | Immediate functionality with temporary teeth placed the same day |
All-on-4 implants are ideal for patients who have multiple missing teeth or need a full-mouth restoration.
It is beneficial for those who have experienced bone loss that makes traditional implants challenging, want to avoid removable dentures, and for those who desire a quicker solution with minimal recovery time.
What Are Zygomatic Dental Implants?
Zygomatic implants represent a specialized solution for patients with severe bone loss in the upper jaw. Rather than anchoring into the maxilla (upper jawbone), these longer implants reach the zygoma (cheekbone), which provides a stable foundation even when maxillary bone is insufficient.
Traditionally, patients with significant bone loss in the upper jaw needed extensive bone grafting procedures before receiving implants, a process that could take six to 12 months. Zygomatic implants eliminate this requirement, making dental implants accessible to patients who were previously not considered good candidates.
Key benefits of zygomatic implants include:
| • | Elimination of bone grafting procedures |
| • | Shorter overall treatment time |
| • | Immediate loading possibility (teeth can often be attached the same day) |
| • | High success rates even in challenging cases |
| • | Permanent solution for severe maxillary atrophy |
The procedure is more complex than standard implant placement and requires specialized training and experience. Typically, a combination of regular and zygomatic implants is used to support a full upper arch of teeth.
While less common than other implant types, zygomatic implants have provided life-changing results for patients who thought dental implants were not an option for them due to bone loss.
They exemplify how dental implant technology continues to evolve to meet the needs of more patients.
Dental Implant Procedure
Preparation
The dental implant process typically spans several months and involves multiple steps.
Understanding what to expect can help patients prepare for this investment in their oral health.
The journey will begin with a comprehensive examination.
This will include a dental and medical review, followed by an oral examination, and imaging. We will then develop a personalized treatment plan.
Prior to your dental implant procedure, some patients may require tooth extractions, bone grafting or ridge augmentation, or treatment of gum disease or other oral health issues.
Dental Implant Surgery
For your implant placement surgery, local anesthesia or sedation will be administered for comfort. A small incision will be made in the gum tissue.
The implant will be precisely positioned in the jawbone and the site closed with sutures. Temporary prosthetics may be placed depending on the technique.
Healing and Osseointegration
This critical phase typically takes three to six months as the implant fuses with the surrounding bone.
During this time patients will follow specific post-operative care instructions, including regular check-ups to monitor healing and progress. Temporary restorations may be adjusted as needed.
Abutment Placement
Once osseointegration is complete, a minor procedure will be done to expose the implant. The abutment (connector) will be attached. The gum tissue around the abutment will heal, forming a natural-looking profile.
Final Restoration
The final step involves taking impressions of your mouth and creating your custom prosthetic teeth in a dental laboratory (usually a dental crown). We will do a fitting and adjust the final restoration and verify bite alignment and aesthetics.
The entire dental implant process typically takes four to nine months from start to finish, though this varies based on individual circumstances and the specific implant technique used.
Follow-up Care
Maintaining dental implants requires diligent home care including brushing and flossing and attending regular dental check-ups. Avoid habits that could damage the implants (like chewing ice).
Dental Implants with Lehigh Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Modern advances in implant dentistry have made the procedure more comfortable, predictable, and accessible than ever before.
For patients missing one tooth or many, dental implants offer the closest solution to natural teeth currently available in modern dentistry.
Contact us today at (610) 435-6161 to schedule an appointment, and we will find out which type of dental implant will be suit you.