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Single tooth implant

When Is This Used?

Single-tooth implants can be used in people who are missing one or more teeth. An implant is surgically placed in an opening that is made by your dentist in the jawbone. After the implant integrates (attaches) to your bone, it acts as a new "root" for the crown that will be replacing your missing tooth. A crown (cap), which is made to look like a natural tooth, is attached to the implant and fills the space left in the mouth by the missing tooth.

For this procedure to work, there must be enough bone in the jaw, and the bone has to be strong enough to hold and support the implant. If there is not enough bone, be may need to be added with a procedure called bone augmentation. In addition, natural teeth and supporting tissues near where the implant will be placed must be in good health.

How Dos It Work?

An implant-restored tooth consists of several parts.

The implant, which is made of titanium, is placed in the upper or lower jawbone

The abutment can be made of titanium, gold or porcelain. It is attached to the implant with a screw. This part connects the implant to the crown.

The restoration (the part that looks like a tooth) is a crown, usually made of porcelain fused to a metal alloy (PFM), but also could be an all-metal or all-porcelain crown. The crown is attached either to the abutment or directly to the implant. It can be screwed or cemented onto the abutment. If the crown is screwed to the abutment, the screw hole will be covered with restorative material such as tooth-colored filling material (composite).

Implant-Supported Bridge

What Is It?

An implant-supported bridge is similar to a regular dental bridge, but it is supported by implants and not by natural teeth. In most cases, when an implant-supported bridge is used, one implant is placed in the jawbone for each missing tooth and then, instead of placing a separate crown on top of each implant, the crowns are connected to each other to form one piece.

When Is This Used?

An implant-supported bridge is used when more than one tooth is missing. It also may be used when your dentist is concerned that you might put too much pressure on individual implants that are not connected to each other. For example, clenching or grinding your teeth can put a lot of pressure on individual implants and increase the chance that they will loosen from the bone and fail. If an implant-supported bridge is used, it reduces the pressure on the individual implants in the bone, and spreads it across the entire bridge.

If the implants will be placed next to natural teeth, the natural teeth and surrounding gums must be in good health. If you don't have enough bone to place and support the dental implants, the supporting bone can be built up using bone augmentation or grafting before the actual implant procedure begins.

How Dos It Work?

In some cases, your dentist may not want to put an implant in a certain place in your mouth because there's not enough jawbone to support the implant, or because the implant would be too close to a nerve or sinus cavity (located above your upper teeth). In that case, your dentist can avoid the area by placing implants on both sides of the space, and then placing an implant-supported bridge on top. An implant-supported bridge also can be made similar to a traditional bridge where a crown can be suspended between two implant-supported crowns.

The implant, which is made of titanium and surgically placed in the jawbone. You may have one implant for each missing tooth, or your dentist may skip one or more spaces because there's not enough jawbone to support the implant or implants or because the space is too close to a nerve or your sinus cavity.

The abutment, a cylinder made of titanium, gold or porcelain, is screwed onto the implant. In the past, some abutments were attached to the implant using cement, but today all abutments are secured with screws. Abutments can be pre-fabricated or custom made by the dental lab.

The restoration (the part that looks like teeth) is a series of porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns (porcelain attached and fused to a substructure of metal) connected to form a bridge.

Implant-Supported Denture

What Is It?

An implant-supported denture is a type of overdenture that is supported by and attached to implants. An implant-supported overdenture is attached to implants, while a regular denture rests on the gums, is not supported by implants, and tends to fit less firmly in the mouth.

An implant-supported denture is used when a person doesn't have any teeth in the jaw, but has enough bone in the jaw to support implants. An implant-supported denture has special attachments that snap onto attachments on the implants.

Implant-supported dentures usually are made for the lower jaw because regular dentures tend to be less stable there. Usually, a regular denture made to fit an upper jaw is quite stable on its own and doesn't need the extra support offered by implants. However, you can receive an implant-supported denture in either the upper or lower jaw.

You can remove an implant-supported denture easily. Some people prefer to have fixed (permanent) crown and bridgework in their mouths that can't be removed. Your dentist will consider your particular needs and preferences when suggesting fixed or removable options.

How Dos It Work?

There are two types of implant-supported dentures: bar-retained and ball-retained. In both cases, the denture will be made of an acrylic base that will look like gums, with porcelain or acrylic teeth that look like natural teeth attached. Bar-retained dentures require at least three implants. Ball-retained dentures need at least two.

Bar-retained dentures — A thin metal bar that follows the curve of your jaw is attached to two to five implants that have been placed in your jawbone. Clips or other types of attachments are fitted to the bar the denture, or to both. The denture fits over the bar and is securely clipped into place by the attachments.

Ball-retained dentures — (stud-attachment dentures) —
Each implant that has been placed in the jawbone holds a metal attachment that fits into another attachment on the denture. In most cases, the attachments on the implants are ball-shaped ("male" attachments), and they fit into sockets ("female" attachments) on the denture. In some cases, these attachments are reversed, with the denture holding the male attachments and the implants holding the female ones.