Dental Implants
Titanium and zirconia implants that provide the foundation for crowns that look, feel and function just like your natural teeth. Rediscover your smile and the foods you’ve been missing.
Dental implants are used to replace damaged or missing teeth, designed to meet your specific needs and go unnoticed next to your natural teeth. They are such a great option because they can be used to replace virtually any tooth in the mouth without the drawbacks and risks associated with other restorative choices like bridges and dentures. Whether you need a single tooth replaced or all of your teeth, dental implants can be used to create the best and longest-lasting restoration available.
Dental Implants Services in Nashville, TN
Learn more about the dental implant services Dr. Jones and Dr. Estes offer patients in Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, and Cool Springs.
Titanium Implants
The overwhelming majority of dental implants placed today are made of titanium.
Zirconia Implants
While documented allergy to titanium is very rare, it does exist. For patients with a titanium allergy or sensitivity, or those simply wanting to avoid metal in their body, zirconia implants provide a great alternative.
How it Works
Nashville Restorative Dentistry uses advanced technology throughout the implant process to provide you the best results. Cone Beam CT scan 3D imagery is used to evaluate each case, allowing us to see the amount of remaining bone, determine enough space is available for an implant, and rule out the presence of any problematic anatomy of the jaw bone. CT imagery also allows us to plan the exact implant placement position that will be most successful for each individual case. A 3D printed surgical guide is then created which allows us to surgically place an implant exactly according to plan, making for a more predictable and less invasive procedure and a quicker healing time for the patient.
Nashville Restorative Dentistry offers two different types of dental implants - titanium and zirconia. While both are effective, each has different attributes you should consider when selecting which one to use.
What are the Benefits of Dental Implants?
Successful and long-lasting - Decades of clinical research show the success rate of implants to be at or above 95%. Unlike other tooth replacement options like bridges and dentures which often fail over time, a properly placed implant that is well cared for with good dental hygiene should last a lifetime.
Natural and durable - A dental implant replaces the root of a missing tooth and is securely anchored in the jaw bone. This allows a new crown to be placed on the implant that naturally resembles the tooth that was lost and recreates the same biting force and ability to confidently eat. The tooth replacement can also be brushed and flossed just like a natural tooth.
No more loose dentures and partials - Implants can be used to support or anchor removable options like partials and dentures. This can significantly increase your comfort, chewing force, and ability to eat and talk without the concern of things shifting or coming loose. In some cases, implants can be used to replace multiple teeth with an implant supported bridge and eliminate the need for wearing a partial altogether.
Save healthy neighboring teeth - Implants allow you to fill a missing space without grinding down the neighboring teeth to make a bridge, which can increase the chance of needing a root canal or tooth extraction over time. They also prevent undesired shifting or tipping of teeth that can occur if a space is left unfilled.
Value - Although the initial investment may be higher than alternatives treatment choices, over a lifetime implants provide the most cost-effective and long term value of tooth replacement options.
How Can Implants be Used?
Replace a single tooth - The most common implant use is to replace a single missing tooth. One implant is used to replace the root of a missing tooth and, after healing, an abutment and crown are attached to the implant to provide a natural appearing and fully functioning tooth replacement.
Replace multiple teeth in a row - In some cases when several teeth in a row have been lost, two implants can be placed and used as anchors for an implant bridge. This allows for the replacement of multiple teeth without the unnecessary expense of placing an implant for each missing tooth.
All-on-4 and All-on-6 - Replacing all the teeth - If all of your teeth need to be replaced, as few as four to six implants in each jaw can be used to stabilize a bridge or hybrid denture that gives you a complete restoration of your teeth and ability to smile and eat with confidence. In many cases, the failing teeth can be removed and implants and healing restoration placed the same day - preventing you from ever being without teeth or wearing a denture.
Support or anchor a removable denture or partial - As few as two implants can be placed under an existing denture or partial to greatly increase its stability and your confidence. The denture is modified or made to snap onto the implants underneath, preventing anything from coming loose while you’re eating, falling out while you’re talking, and eliminating the need for sticky and messy denture adhesives.
Titanium Implants
Some benefits of titanium dental implants include:
- Successful Track Record - Titanium implants have been in use for many decades now and have a consistently documented success rate at or above 95%. It is considered to be a very biocompatible metal and is used in many other surgeries like joint replacements and stabilizing fractured bones.
- Strength - Dental implants must be strong enough to function under the forces of biting and chewing. Titanium has the required physical properties to successfully handle these forces even in thin dimensions.
- Restorative Options - Titanium implants provide more restorative options when compared to zirconia implants. This means in certain cases the outcome may look more natural. The ability to change the angle of the crown as it emerges from the gums as compared to the position of the implant in the bone (using a component called a custom abutment) is currently only available with titanium implants. This is most often needed when replacing upper front teeth. The myriad of components that can be connected to titanium implants also allows for a predictable replacement of multiple teeth or all the teeth with one bridge or hybrid denture.
Zirconia Implants
Some benefits of zirconia implants include:
- Biocompatibility - Zirconia offers a superior biocompatibility when compared with titanium.
- Natural look- Zirconia is a bright, white tooth-colored material that eliminates the possibility of seeing darkness or a gray tint to the gums that sometimes occurs with titanium implants.
- Strength - Zirconia is an incredibly strong material that provides an ideal alternative to titanium.
- To lean more about the Zeramex zirconia implant system, click here.
Reggie R.
Patient Testimonial
Issue: Two badly infected and broken upper front teeth as well as poor alignment of his teeth overall.
Solution: Through a process involving extractions, bone grafting, and braces we were able to achieve a healthy, infection free point which allowed dental implants to be placed and utilized to replace the two missing front teeth.
