For patients who need a permanent solution for their missing teeth, dental implants are the usual option. These are metal posts surgically placed on your jawbones to serve as a “mount” for your replacement teeth. Your New Albany implant dentist can best tell you which type of dental implant would be best for your situation.
Types of Dental Implants
Basically, there are two types of dental implants: traditional implants and mini-implants. Traditional implants are bigger in diameter compared to mini-implants. Sizes for traditional ones range between 4 to 5mm while mini-implants are less than 3mm in diameter.
Both types are made of Titanium metal, the same metal used in joint and bone replacement. Because of the difference in sizes, traditional implants take more time to heal, usually about 3 to 6 months, which is significantly longer compared to mini-implants’ 3 to 8 weeks.
Also, the cost of the two could also easily influence people to choose one over the other. Mini-implants would set you back around $2,000 to $4,000. A small price when you consider the cost of traditional implants, which could start at $8,000 and go up to $20,000.
When it comes to durability, many dentists still believe that traditional implants are able to perform better when exposed to extreme pressure from biting and chewing compared to mini-implants. Therefore, if you need your molar or any other larger tooth to be replaced, you might want to consider traditional implants over their mini versions.
What You Need In Order to Prepare for Dental Implants
Not everybody who has a missing tooth should go get dental implants. Check with your New Albany dentist if bridges or dentures would be enough to solve your problems with missing teeth. For patients who are set on getting implants, remember that you need to have healthy gums and good bone support to make the implants work.
Interested in getting dental implants? Call New Albany Implants at (812) 945-7645 to find out if they are the right solution for your missing teeth.