There are numerous different types of dental implants available to those needing to fill in where a tooth, or perhaps many teeth, no longer resides. Each type of implant has its own use, and offers different benefits, depending on the type of situation you currently face. These four types of implants have been used for many years, although some of them are being phased out currently.

Blade-Form Dental Implants

Also known as plate-form implants, these implants are put into the bone with the prongs sticking out so that the crown, or realistic looking tooth, can be placed on it. These are not as common as root-form implants, but are still capable of holding a bridge or single tooth in place.

Transosseous Dental Implants

Transosseous implants are rarely used currently, but were originally designed for people who only had a little usable bone left in their lower jaw to hold a set of implants. These dental implants are also only able to be used on the lower jaw due to how the procedure is completed—by drilling the implant posts up from beneath the chin until they can be seen within the mouth. To get these implants, one must expect a hospital stay that involves surgery under general anesthesia and staying for a recovery period.

Ramus-Frame Dental Implants

For the Ramus implants, posts go into the back of the jaw, near where the wisdom teeth would be, and another up near the chin. These posts then heal, and a set of implant dentures are created to fit specifically on these metal posts and the connecting metal wire. Again, this type of implant is only able to be used on the lower jaw, but it is safer for the patient than the Transosseous implant procedure, and requires much less recovery time.

Root-Form Dental Implants

Root-form dental implants are the most commonly used type of implants by dentists today. With this procedure, your dentist will put posts into your jaw bone that will hold the tooth or teeth you need replaced. Once those posts are healed, permanent crowns go on top, and you will once again have a smile you are proud to show off to the world.

Come and see Dr. Levy today to see which type of dental implants would be best for your mouth.