Implant Dentistry
Smile Makeover Specialist
In Collierville and Memphis, Tennessee
If you would like to contact Dr. Ettienne van Zyl to ask a question or schedule an appointment visit our convenient contact form.
Under every good tooth is a healthy root. Although hidden and largely unappreciated, roots bind your teeth to your jaw. Roots are the essential difference between natural teeth and the longtime standards for prosthetic teeth--dentures and bridges—which had to be fastened using other means such as glues, pastes, or crowns on neighboring teeth.
A dental implant is superior to these other prosthetics as it is a substitute for a tooth root. Implants are inserted into the jawbone, providing anchorage for false teeth – also called “pontics.” In some cases, the implant is all one piece, with the root and tooth already connected prior to insertion.
The implant is made of titanium because this material fuses well with bone (a process called “osseointegration”). Once fused with your bone, the implant provides a strong support that in most cases will hold the pontic in place for the rest of your life.
There are four different types of dental implants. The first, called a root form implant, screws directly into the jawbone, under the gums, but with enough above the gumline to allow the pontic to be attached. A plate form implant is very similar to a root form implant, but it is set directly on top of the jawbone rather than screwed into it. A plate form implant is used when the jawbone is too narrow or short as a result of genetics, disease, or bacterial attack.
In cases of severe deterioration of the jawbone, a subperiosteal implant is used. This is basically a custom-made, artificial jawbone. Creating this implant is an intricate, surgical procedure, but is necessary in only a very few cases.&
For these three types of implants, the artificial tooth or teeth are not normally installed until osseointegration is complete, although in some cases temporary but functional pontics may be put in place right away. These artificial teeth are permanently attached, and behave just like real teeth, unlike removable dentures.
In recent years, a fourth type of implant, the one-piece implant, which is currently under investigation and may come to be in general usage in the near future once all the design issues are worked out.
If you have lost teeth, or have been diagnosed with root problems that may require the extraction of one or more teeth, dental implants might be right for you. Contact Dr. van Zyl today. He has been received cosmetic dentistry training at the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies. Contact him today for an initial consultation – a healthier mouth is right around the corner!
