Dental implants are the best method for reconstructing a smile; they’re the only truly comprehensive restoration method for missing teeth. Tooth implants offer a permanent solution to tooth loss, and the prosthetic root preserves the health of your jaw.
The biggest obstacle when it comes to dental implants is the jaw health of the patient. When considering whether implants are the right treatment plan for a patient requiring mouth reconstruction, jaw health is the biggest factor.
Without proper bone structure and density, implants may fail, causing more harm than good. But now there’s an implant option for patients with severe bone loss in the upper jaw: zygomatic dental implants.
What are Zygomatic Dental Implants?
The actual implant part of a dental implant, in standard procedure, is installed directly into the jawbone at the site of the missing tooth. After the new root is installed in the jaw, over the next few months, the jawbone starts to grow around it in a process called osseointegration. This is a reciprocal process where the jaw bone needs to be healthy enough to integrate the post so that the post can then stimulate and preserve the jaw bone and positioning of other teeth.
Zygomatic implants are different because of where the post is placed. Instead of just in the alveolar ridge, the implant is placed partially in the cheek (zygomatic) bone. The healing and integration process is then supposed to progress with a standard prosthetic tooth root.
Why Would Someone Need Zygomatic Tooth Implants?
Someone would need a zygomatic tooth implant specifically because of severe bone loss in the upper jaw. Here’s why regular dental implants wouldn’t be ideal in this case:
- Standard dental implants require sufficient jaw bone health. Traditional dental implants rely on being anchored securely in the jawbone (alveolar ridge) for stability and osseointegration (fusion with bone).
- Severe bone loss comes with high risk of implant failure. When there’s significant bone loss in the upper jaw, the alveolar ridge might be too weak or thin to hold a regular implant firmly. This could lead to implant failure or require additional bone grafting procedures.
Zygomatic implants offer a solution because:
- Instead of the jawbone, zygomatic implants are strategically placed in the zygomatic bone (cheekbone). This bone is denser and less prone to bone loss, providing a strong foundation for the implant.
- Since they utilize the zygomatic bone, this type of tooth implant often eliminates the need for separate bone grafting surgery, saving time and potentially reducing discomfort for the patient.
Things to Consider with Zygomatic Implants
It’s not all positive – complications with jaw health have their cost. Things to consider with zygomatic dental implants include:
- More complex/invasive surgery: Placement is a more intricate surgical procedure. This requires a highly skilled maxillofacial surgeon due to the placement of the dental implants.
- Higher risk of complications: Due to the complex surgery and targeting a different bone, there’s a potentially higher risk of complications. These include sinusitis, nerve damage and implant failure.
- Longer healing time: Decreased bone health and increased invasiveness lead to a longer and potentially more uncomfortable recovery time.
- Higher cost: Zygomatic implants often cost more than standard dental implants due to the specialized surgical technique and materials involved.
All that being said, the cost of missing teeth outweighs the challenges associated with the process of getting dental implants. With permanent prosthetic teeth and a holistic approach to tooth replacement, you can have the smile you deserve even if your jaw health is lacking.
If you’ve been wondering if you can do better than dentures even with severe bone loss in your upper jaw, call us to schedule an exam and consultation with our oral surgeon, who provides dental implant reconstruction for adults, including geriatric oral surgeries.
