It seems as if most people have accepted teeth loss as an inevitable process of aging. In fact, 30 million Americans are missing all of their teeth in one or both jaws. Dental implants are artificial structures made from porcelain or resin that are permanently placed into one's jawbone. As the jawbone heals, the implants will permanently fuse with the bone. There are several different techniques and types of dental implants. In particular, many dental surgeons are praising the wonders that short implants can offer.
What Are Short Implants?
The reliability and integration of dental implant designs to be biocompatible with the patients, and able to transfer occlusal forces to the prosthetic restoration has always been a significant engineering challenge. Previously, dental implant designs had long roots for increased stability during the integration; however, short implants have been known to reduce surgical invasiveness and improve recovery times.
Short implants rely on titanium to form an intimate bond between the implants and the bone. They also possess features like a bacterially-sealed, 1.5 degree locking taper abutment to implant connection and a plateaued tapered root form body. Short implants are able to reduce the need for bone grafting procedures, which helps in maximizing placement possibilities. They were originally designed for use in atrophic regions of the jaw.
Most short dental implants have a tapered body type with an internal hex connection. They are designed to provide maximum surface area from a power thread design.
What Are The Perceived Success Rates?
Most patients who are on the brink of choosing between short or wide, traditional, dental implants are most concerned with the success rates. Clinical studies that performed a follow-up on the integration success of wide, traditional dental implants found that cumulative implant survival rates for implants placed in rough surfaces ranged from 96.86 to 98.42%, and cumulative implant survival rates for implants placed in smooth surfaces ranged from 97.88 to 98.93%. In comparison, previous cumulative implant survival rates for short implants with a less than 7 mm length progressed from 80% to 90% gradually, but recent studies have shown a success rate of 100%.
What Are Their Advantages?
If you do not have sufficient jawbone available for the integration of wide, traditional dental implants, then you may want to consider short implants instead as they require less bone to successfully fuse permanently. Some distinct advantages of opting for short dental implants will include:
- being able to avoid vital structures since the length of implant that is integrated into the jawbone is relatively minimal.
- minimizing bone graft procedures. Short dental implants are less surgically invasive in comparison to traditional methods. Bone graft procedures come with some complications, and most patients are much more comfortable with the surgical procedure when they can avoid the added surgery.
- maximizing implant placement possibilities. Since short dental implants can be placed even in locations with minimal bone, the surgical procedure is suitable for more possibilities. Tooth loss is normally associated with bone loss as well since the bone will begin to degrade back to the basal level.
- being able to offer a single unit restorations without splinting.
- long term durability and a clinically proven solution. Not only do short implants have a high success rate, but they have also been known to last for decades without requiring much maintenance.
Conclusion
There are many cosmetic dentists from sites like http://www.ryanperio.com who are familiar and an expert in short dental implants. If you are looking for a permanent solution to any missing teeth that you may have, you should consider consulting with a dental surgeon regarding which types of implants are most suitable for your situation.
