Different Dental Implant Systems
Dental Implants Introduction
Implant treatments have become more popular and more available in the last few years. However, while a lot of people can claim better overall oral health, losing teeth is still a common occurrence. Human life expectancy is increasing, and a lot of people are staying very active into they their sixties and beyond. Luckily with dental implant technology, people can now expect to smile with ease and comfortably enjoy their favorite foods for a lifetime.
As the population, as well as the aging population increases, there is also an increase in demand of quality dental implants. The increase in public awareness of the options of dental treatment, combined with the increase in dental treatment success rates and advancements in implant technology there are now some very high quality options and dental implant systems.
Different Dental Implant Systems
Dental implants are available now in various shapes and sizes. Quality dental implant companies are continually researching how to improve width, shape, texture, lengths, as well as the surfaces of implants in order to also increase overall effectiveness and implant treatment success rates.
A Dental Implant System can be defined as a set of certified dental components that can be used by dentists and/or oral surgeons to secure a denture, or to replace any missing teeth.
There are different kinds of dental implant systems, which can be further broken down into the actual components used and the kinds of implants used in dental implant procedures.
Kinds of Implants
Endosteal implants and Subperiosteal implants are the two basic kinds of dental implants.
- Endosteal Dental Impants: The endosteal implants are implants that get inserted directly in to the jawbone. These implants are the most common kind of implant and are usually made of titanium and are shaped like small screws.
- Subperiosteal Dental Implants: The subperiosteal implants are implants which get placed under the gums, but actually on (or above) a person’s jawbone.
Choices for Components
A lot of attention to detail goes into the construction of dental implant systems. Once you have established what type of dental implant is right for you, there are choices to be made about the components involved.
COMPARISON OF CEMENT AND SCREW RETAINED IMPLANTS:
There are various types of implant crowns with cement-retained implant crowns and screw-retained implant crowns being the most common. When choosing what type of crown will get used for any given implant procedure, many details are considered - including:
- Overall Retrievability: There are some instances when an implant crown will have to be removed. Different types of dental cements are made for use in implant restorations some of which can make what’s called “retrievability” easier. Some dentists prefer using a kind of temporary cement, which can be helpful when removing a crown, but which may compromise underlying stability. In comparison, if a crown needs to be retrieved, the screw-retained implant crowns are easier to work with because of their predictability.
- Functionality and Ease: Placing the screw-retained implant crowns can prove more challenging than placing cement-retained crowns. In the cement-retained restorations, often times multiple abutments are needed, and the fitting procedure the is comparable to a routine bridge placement procedure. Whereas the placement procedure for screw retained restorations often involves more steps.
- Angled Abutments and Compatibility: Abutment angle is a small detail, but an important consideration in components used in implant treatments. If the implant angle happens to be off (even slightly), then an angled abutment (screw-retained ) becomes necessary. For this types of scenario, it is makes more sense to use the cement-retained crown with a custom (or stock) angled abutment.
STOCK ABUTMENTS AND CUSTOM ABUTMENTS
- Stock Available in standardized sizes, stock abutments are usable in bone level and tissue level implants. Stock abutments are considered very “user-friendly” by design. Stock abutments are considered to be good for cement retained restorations and are considered cost effective. Stock abutments can be straight or angled, and are most effective when used with tissue level implants that are not in what’s known as the esthetic zone. A typical issue with stock abutments can be the limitations of standardized sizing. Since dental tissues actually conform to the size and shape of the abutment, the stock abutments can be a less than ideal choice for certain restorations. Another thing that has to be taken into consideration is that the final margin of the crown placement cannot be controlled with these stock abutments.
- Custom Also usable for bone and tissue level implants, custom abutments can be waxed or milled to be the exact shape and contour in relation to the crest of the tissue. While there are various options in the smaller details of custom abutments, they are generally made from zirconia or titanium; occasionally a custom abutment is made of zirconia with a titanium base. Though custom abutments can be more costly up front, they almost always offer more predictable esthetics, as well as better tissue management. Custom abutments also work with screw retained and cemented crowns. Generally, the custom abutments are considered more efficient than the stock abutments. In the big picture and in the long run this efficiency will ultimately save money the dentist, as well as the patient.
TITANIUM IMPLANTS
In implant dentistry, titanium is known for it biocompatibility, which means that it integrates in a highly functional way with any surrounding bone. Therefore, a lot of dental implants are made from titanium. Bone grows easily and naturally on the surfaces of titanium dental implants and so this biocompatibility is what allows the dental implants to eventually become totally fixed in place. Titanium alloy implants have a very high success rate. In the early days of implant dentistry pure titanium was used for making the components for dental implant, but it was discovered fairly quickly that in its pure form it was bit too soft to function optimally. Companies then developed a titanium alloy. This alloy is very strong, but still maintains its excellent biocompatible properties. It is good to note that there have not been any recorded cases of a specific allergic reaction to titanium used in these components, but occasionally some people might exhibit a slight reaction or sensitivity one of the other metals used in the alloy. And some people do have concerns about having any kind metal in their body or mouth.
ZIRCONIUM IMPLANTS
Because of occasional concerns about certain metal sensitivities, a few companies have researched and developed a zirconium based implant that is technically considered “metal-free”. While it is considered a kind of ceramic, zirconium does actually have a trace amount of the lesser known metals hafnium and yttrium. Having trace amounts of these metals in the zirconium based implant improves its properties and functionality. And, as with titanium, zirconium is very strong and does osseointegrate with bone well.
THE PROS AND CONS WITH MATERIALS USED FOR IMPLANTS
- Titanium: Titanium has long term and substantial success rates for dental implants procedures. The titanium implants are versatile. Since they can be made into a one piece or two piece system, this gives dentists real flexibility in both implant placement and treatments. Titanium implants have various use options, as well; for example they can be used to support a fixed restoration, and be used in overdenture treatments. Over time titanium has proved to be an ideal material for dental implants. The titanium implants offer flexibility in treatment approaches, which might offer better overall results. But in some cases, such as if a person has an issue with the use of metals, zirconium can be a great alternative.
- Zirconium: Zirconium implants are made as single piece implants, which means that zirconium implant restorations need to be cemented into place, which also means that a lot of care must be given to proper positioning of zirconium implants. Since there isn’t room for mistakes, it is also important that the patient has enough healthy bone volume. There are, however, advantages to zirconium dental implants. For example, zirconium is non-corrosive and it also is not thermally conductive, which is considered a good thing in dental implant dentistry. Also, the ceramic appearance and color of zirconium ensures there is no metallic looking material.
Dental Implant Systems Overview
The top implant companies in the world have invested a lot of time and resources in research, as well as development of dental implant systems and procedures. A substantial amount of scientific research has been done in regards to surfaces and their characteristics and how they function in dental implant systems. When an implant is placed in the jaw, it will inspire some kind of biological response, and this response ultimately leads to a kind of information exchange between the biomaterials being used and the body’s cells.
Ideally the body will accept the material being used in the dental implant. That is the goal. Through research the ideal materials for optimal osseointegration possibilities have been discovered.
Choosing which dental implant system will work best for your specific dental needs might take a bit of time; but it can offer a learning experience. For the more routine dental implant procedure, which dental implant system is utilized could influence the outcome only subtly, but the choice of implants will likely be very important in a more complex dental implant situation. Gathering information and meeting with your oral health care professional is a great start to a preferred outcome.