If you’re going to get dental implants, you may feel excited. Fair enough – you can expect your new teeth to work well. Still, you shouldn’t move too quickly. It’s best to learn the basics about your upcoming treatment first; you won’t know what to expect otherwise. Luckily, getting the fundamentals down isn’t hard. Your Willow Grove dentist will even help you out. So, here are four crucial dental implant terms you should know beforehand.
Endosteal Implant
A dental team will place a specific kind of implant for your treatment. In particular, they’re likely to give you an endosteal one.
An endosteal implant is the most common type used by modern dentists. Typically, each one is made of titanium and shaped like a small screw. These screws – placed in the jawbone and protruding through the gums – hold the final restorations. Such objects can range from dental crowns and dentures to a dental bridge.
Osseointegration
You may wonder how implants stay in your mouth without falling. Well, it all comes down to one special word: “osseointegration.”
In short, osseointegration is the fusion of an implant with your jaw. It ensures your prosthetic tooth is held by newly-created tissue from the jawbone. That way, the implant post remains secure and stable over time. It’ll then restore your bite force and help you chew food.
Abutment
To be honest, it isn’t the dental implant itself that holds the final restoration. That job is done by an object known as an abutment.
Put simply, an abutment is a metal connector used in dentistry. A dentist builds it into (or attaches it to the top of) your dental implant. Once set, this connector serves as the attachment for your final restoration. It’ll then hold a dental crown, bridge, or denture in place.
All-on-4 Implants
All-on-4 implants aren’t too different from regular ones. In fact, both kinds do much of the same work. Still, the All-on-4 kinds have a unique role that only they can fulfill.
You see, All-on-4 implants are those that secure a complete denture. Dentists thus place them in sets of four at the densest parts of the jawbone. Unlike other types, they never require that you get bone grafts first. Instead, a patient can receive them without an extensive wait time.
The words above are only a few dental implant terms you should know. To learn about the rest, consult your dental provider.
About the Practice
Advanced Smile Design is based in Willow Grove, PA. Led by Drs. Patel and Gandhi, our practice works to give each patient their dream smile. That means we offer preventive, cosmetic, and restorative services, as well as emergency dental care. Naturally, our range of treatments also includes the best dental implants around! For more details or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (630)-968-8439.
