Ceramic Dental Implants
At Oakley Oral Surgery, our team has the training and enthusiasm to help you with any issue that might affect your oral health. One common issue that we see is when our patients have unwanted gaps between their teeth. This can be because of teeth that grew in incorrectly or because one or more of your teeth have been knocked out by a sports injury or some other cause. To fill these spaces, our dentists often recommend the use of dental implants that we can use to safely attach dentures, bridges, or replacement teeth wherever they are required.
How Does A Ceramic Dental Implant Work?
A ceramic dental implant involves a post made out of a ceramic material, like zirconia, that functions like a tooth root. During oral surgery we carefully insert this post into the space between your teeth.
We place the implant right into your jawbone and beneath the gum line. By doing this, we make sure that the ceramic dental implant is attached to a solid surface and so it does not come loose or move unnecessarily. This lets us avoid the need for dental bridges that use anchors on nearby teeth. Choosing a ceramic dental implant to fix that gap in your mouth means that none of your adjacent teeth will have to be ground down to hold your replacement tooth in place.
Why Use Ceramic Dental Implants?
Though dental implants have traditionally been made of titanium, ceramic dental implants, such as those made from zirconia, have been designed to serve as a fantastic alternative. Because ceramic dental implants are not made of metal, they prove to be much more compatible with human tissue. They also prove to be a wonderful aesthetic choice, as it is easy to color a ceramic dental implant to match the color of your natural teeth. With their solid fracture resistance and durability, they hold up against corrosion and bacteria well. These advantages make ceramic dental implants an appealing option when it comes to resolving the spaces between your teeth.
Are There Any Drawbacks To Ceramic Dental Implants?
While there is much to recommend ceramic dental implants, we want you to be fully informed about any issues that may make other types of implants a better choice for your particular case. Though ceramic dental implants are quite durable, being too rough with them while brushing or while chewing hard foods can result in deterioration and possibly tiny cracks in the material. Ceramic dental implants are also usually only available in one-piece.
Consequently, if the gap that you are faced with is across where multiple teeth should have been, you may need to choose a metal alternative that can address the wider space. Another consideration is whether your treatment plan will require adjustment after the implant has been fitted. If so, you may want to select a metal option as ceramic dental implants can be weakened by the resultant grinding on their surface.
If you think that ceramic dental implants might be right for you, and you would like to learn more, call our Mission office today at (913)722-3253 or our Overland Park office at (913)897-5297.