Everyone wants a beautiful, complete smile, but very few people want to pay thousands of dollars to the dentist to get it. However, you can continue your dream of a beautiful smile.
Three low-cost dental implant options don’t require you to be rich or credit-worthy. If you want to know more about these affordable dental implants, read below.
Endosteal Dental Implants
Endosteal dental implants are the most commonly used type of implant, as they are relatively easy to place and provide a secure foundation for your replacement tooth.
Endosteal dental implants are made from titanium and placed into the jawbone where the root of your missing tooth once was. The implant is anchored into the jawbone with small screws or rods that go into the bone. Once in place, they act as an anchor for your new artificial tooth.
These may be right for you if you have lost one or more teeth due to injury or disease. You can also use them to support dentures.
Subperiosteal Dental Implants
Subperiosteal dental is also known as endosseous implants or bone-anchored implants.
It consists of a titanium screw inserted into your jawbone. It is then attached to a crown placed on top of your tooth hence the name endosseous.
But, before you can get subperiosteal dental implants, your dentist must place a titanium post into your jawbone using a surgical procedure performed under local anesthesia.
This is a less standard procedure used with patients who don’t have solid and healthy jawbones.
So your dentist will then attach one or more crowns to this post with screws and cement. This process typically takes two to three months after surgery to allow time for bone growth around the implant.
Once healed, they provide long-lasting support for missing teeth.
Zygomatic Dental Implants
They are also known as maxillary dental implants.
For patients who aren’t candidates for either procedure due to weak jawbones, this procedure anchors the teeth into the cheekbone instead. It’s a far more complex and rare procedure, however.
These implants are placed in the upper jaw and look similar to natural teeth. A dentist or oral surgeon performs the procedure and requires you to have two visits to the office.
The first visit will involve the following:
- Removing your old crowns.
- Placing the implant.
- Allowing it to heal for up to six months.
You will need to wear a temporary crown to make your permanent one.
The second visit will involve making necessary adjustments and placing the final tooth on top of your implant. Your new teeth look natural because they are made from porcelain, matching your existing teeth perfectly.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Dental implants provide a long-term solution to missing teeth and have many other substantial benefits. Implants provide structure to the surrounding teeth, reduce jawbone degeneration and serve as a replacement for oral care that may be necessary when dealing with dentures or bridges.
In addition to having a more natural look and feel than other alternatives such as dentures, dental implants provide improved stability for adjacent teeth, encouraging natural jaw movement and preventing shifting of these adjacent teeth over time. Dental Implant treatment can also help restore chewing ability as well as improve speech in those who previously had difficulty speaking clearly due to missing teeth.
How to Care for Dental Implants
When you receive dental implants, it is important to provide proper care and maintenance for them in order to extend the life of your implant-supported teeth. Proper care and maintenance include diligent oral hygiene, maintaining good overall health, and seeing your dentist regularly.
Daily Care
Your dental implants need to be cared for as you would with natural teeth — that means brushing twice a day with a soft toothbrush and cleaning between the implant fixtures by using floss or an interdental brush. Flossing helps to remove plaque and food debris around the implant base and along the gum line. If necessary, your dentist can give you advice on how to floss around a dental implant fixture.
Regular Checkups
Regular checkups allow your provider to monitor the health of your implants, make adjustments where necessary, identify developing problems and treat issues before they become more complicated. Your provider will also assess any bone loss or gum recession that may have developed around an individual tooth or jawbone area associated with an implant.
Cleaning Professional Cleanings
Professional cleanings may vary from one office visit every 6 months up to one visit every 2-3 months depending on the extent of tartar buildup found during examinations done by your dentist or oral surgeon and hygienist. If a problem arises, additional cleanings may be recommended more frequently than twice per year until it is resolved. Professional cleanings are essential for keeping dental implants healthy!
Protect them from trauma
When playing sports or engaging in other activities where you may be at risk of trauma or accidental falls, it is a good idea to wear a mouthguard over the implant area in order to protect them from damage or breakage.
Eat a balanced diet
Eating a healthy balance of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains will provide adequate nutrients that can benefit implant sites directly as well as orally overall — this means avoiding junk food as much as possible!
When to Contact Your Dentist
If you experience any of the following, contact your dentist right away:
-Gum swelling, soreness, or infection
-Loose implant
-Pain when biting or chewing
-Unexpected shifting of your teeth and/or implants
-Damaged implant or abutment
Final Thoughts
Dental implants are one of the absolute best options for replacing missing teeth.
But, understandably, implants are more expensive than dentures. However, there are plenty of affordable options available. Many people even feel that the results are worth the extra cost.
Discuss your options with your dentist and weigh the pros and cons to find a solution.
Once you understand your options and determine which type of implant is right for you, ask your dentist if they can perform the implants.
