Did you know that 69% of Americans between 35 to 44 have lost at least 1 permanent tooth? And those who are 50 to 65 have lost around 12 teeth on average.

Losing your permanent teeth can feel devastating, but there are ways to make up for them. One such way is through dental implants!

Want to hear more? Here's a short and basic guide to the types of dental implants you can get.

Types of Dental Implants

When you see your dentist for dental and orthodontic services, they'll know what's best for you. However, it wouldn't hurt to go in prepared so you know what they're talking about.

In general, there are 2 types of dental implants: endosteal and subperiosteal. There are also ones called zygomatic and All-on-4 implants. Read on to find out more about these dental implant options.

Endosteal Implants

These are the most common type of dental implants you'll see. The implants are placed in your mouth through posts that fuse to your jawbone. Because of this, only patients with healthy and strong jawbones can get endosteal implants.

It'll take a little bit of time to heal, but once you're done healing, you can count on endosteal implants to last you a long time.

Subperiosteal Implants

These are the second-most common type of dental implant. Instead of placing posts into the jawbone, dental professionals will place the posts right on top of it. This means if you don't have enough healthy jawbone available, subperiosteal implants can be used instead.

This is also a good choice if you don't want to undergo a bone graft to have enough healthy bone for endosteal implants.

Zygomatic Implants

These aren't very common, but are still an option. It's complicated and is an alternative to endosteal implants if you don't have enough healthy jawbone. These implants are placed in your cheekbone instead of the jawbone.

All-on-4 Implants

All-on-4 implants are great for those who don't want to use dentures.

As the name suggests, all you need are 4 (sometimes up to 6) implants on the top, bottom, or both rows of teeth. Then, bridges are placed on top to give you realistic and functional teeth.

This eliminates the hassle of putting in and taking out dentures to eat and speak. They're also a lot more comfortable.

Techniques Used to Accommodate Dental Implants

Zygomatic implants are already pretty uncommon. But if you're not able to get those, there are a few ways to enable the option of endosteal implants for you.

We already briefly mentioned using bone grafts, or bone augmentation. You can also get a sinus lift, which is adding bone to the area underneath your sinus.

Lastly, there's ridge expansion. This is also bone grafting, but its main purpose is to expand the area at the top of your jaw.

Know the Types of Dental Implants Available

Now you have a basic understanding of the types of dental implants available. If you feel like these may be of interest to you, then the next step is to make an appointment with your dentist. Together, you can determine what the best course of action is for you!

For more articles like this one on the different types of dental implants, take a look at the rest of our blog now.