What Type of Dental Implant Treatment is Best For Me? (With Infographic)

With so many different types of dental implants on the market, it can feel a little overwhelming to select the best one for your needs. Should you get an implant bridge? Stabilized overdentures? All-on-4? There are various factors you’ll want to consider before setting your heart on one specific type of treatment. Each one will impact the best implant treatment as it pertains to your unique circumstances.

Decide How Many Teeth Need to be Replaced

Ideally, the best implant dentist will recommend preserving as many natural teeth as possible. But as we all know, that isn’t always an option. Loose, decaying, or otherwise non-restorable teeth are best removed and replaced with dental implants. Knowing which teeth can be retained (and how) and which need to be removed is a fine line when it comes to selecting the best implant treatment. It might be that you only have one or two healthy teeth left, and it’s in the best interest of your overall smile to remove them for an All-on-4 treatment. Working with an experienced implant specialist can help you feel more confident about your decision.

Understand Your Dental Implant Treatment Options

After you’ve determined how many teeth need to be replaced, you can decide on the best implant treatment for your smile. Some of the most common choices include:

Single Implant and Crown—When only one tooth is missing and there are healthy ones on either side, an implant and crown is the best option for replacing it. Individual implants are non-invasive to other teeth and are designed to mimic an anatomical tooth. Once integrated with the bone, a custom matching crown is placed on top of the implant abutment, blending in with the smile around it. This treatment option prevents invasive restorations like conventional bridges from weakening the teeth adjacent to your missing one.

Implant Supported Dental Bridge—Instead of wearing a removable partial denture, a fixed implant bridge offers a permanent solution. Structurally, dental implants are extremely strong and capable of supporting the weight of multiple teeth. As such, they can be paired together in wider areas to anchor a multi-tooth dental bridge. Implant bridges can replace 3-4 teeth at a time, or more if additional implants are used. They essentially prevent the need for placing an implant at each missing tooth location.

Implant Stabilized Overdenture—Perhaps you already wear full dentures or need an affordable solution to replace all of your teeth at one time. Implant supported or stabilized overdentures are a “snap-on” removable option worth considering. Overdentures essentially look like conventional dentures (“plates”) except they have special locators that snap or clip onto a corresponding dental implant. Usually, 2-4 implants are all that’s needed per arch. A stabilized denture tends to prevent the rocking or shifting of loose dentures, eliminating the need for gooey pastes or adhesives. 

All-on-4 Implants/Teeth in a Day—Investing in All-on-4 dental implants is the next best thing to having a full set of natural teeth. These fixed restorations provide better biting and chewing abilities than dentures and have a streamlined design that makes speaking feel more natural. Nothing comes in and out and they are permanently attached into place. Same day treatments are also available.

Which One Fits Your Budget?

The price of your dental implant treatment will depend on the restoration you choose, how many implants are required, and any additional adjunctive procedures (such as grafts, extractions, etc.) 

At this point in the planning process, your implant dentist will provide you with a detailed care plan that itemizes the fees included in the treatment. If you have dental insurance, the treatment coordinators will work on a breakdown that lists the expected benefits as they pertain to the plan you select. 

If you don’t have insurance or want to supplement your coverage, that’s no problem. Most dental implant experts also offer flexible financing plans. That way you can enjoy low monthly payments regardless of the complexity of your smile’s needs. When you’re able to invest in the best option for your smile, you’ll get to enjoy a lifetime of benefits!

Work with an Implant Specialist

As an implant patient, you might qualify for more than one treatment. Sometimes the best option is to partner with a skilled expert who can help you weigh the advantages of each applicable option. When you’re better informed about the benefits offered, you can confidently select the implant treatment that’s right for your smile. 

Reserve an implant consultation today to get started!