In video 1, we mentioned you want to place as long and wide of an implant

• How much bone you have determines how long and wide of an implant you can have.
• In video 2, we mentioned how we need to take the maxillary sinuses and inferior alveolar nerve into account when deciding how to size the best implant to the bone.
• We also discussed how the CBCT 3D scan helps to perfectly diagnose the bone dimensions when deciding what implant to place.
• Most importantly, we also discussed how you want at least 2mm of bone all around the implant to ensure vitality of the bone.
• In Video 3, I discussed everything you need to know about bone grafting.

• Many times, I’ve found that most people are confused about the dental implants.  
• People typically associate dental implants as “teeth”. They say,  ”I need dental implants because I need new teeth.”
• Remember in video 1, we discussed the implant is just the part that fuses with the bone.
• In this photo, the crown (tooth replica) is the prosthesis.

• Missing single tooth? – get a single implant

• Missing all your teeth on your upper or lower jaws?  – get an implant supported overdenture (also knows as a snap on denture).  This option is anchored in with at least 2 implants on the lower jaw and at least 4 implants for the upper jaw. This option snaps in and out and is removable when you want to take it out.
• Check the information below and I’ll link a video where we discuss everything about the snap on denture.

• Missing all your teeth on your upper or lower jaws?  – get an All on 4 option.  This option is permanently screwed into your 4 dental implants that are placed in your jaws.  Patients have the best chewing experience with this option because it is screwed in versus being snapped in.
• Check the information below and I’ll link a video where we discuss everything about the All on 4.

How to Decide a Prosthetic Option?

• Patients typically choose the option which makes the most sense to their lifestyle and what makes sense to their finances.
• Esthetics can also help to determine what solution is picked because some prosthetic options look better than other options.
• Check out our video about doing individual implants, dental bridges, snap on denture, or All on 4 and the pros and cons of each

How about the Price?

• Why not just do a bunch of individual implants?
• It ends up being a lot more expensive when you do individual implants.  There is a larger cost of materials involved for the dentist when doing this option.
• Also there will be more effort to accurately place the implants.
• If you saw my previous video about bone grafting, then you realize that the implant site for individual implants has to have ideal bone or the individual implants wontlook right and potentially wont last long..
• Any solution that involves implant bridges, snap on dentures, All on 4, allows the dentist to cut costs and pass those savings on to the patient.

Check out our cost of snap on denture and cost of All on 4 videos.

How About the Esthetics?

• I will create another video in the future talking about front teeth esthetics for dental implants.
• It is an extremely complicated topic and requires extensive knowledge and skill to do predictably.
• Because of how complicated it is, it also requires extensive cost.
• In certain cases of extensive bone loss from gum disease, it may even be next to impossible to achieve excellent esthetics with anterior dental implants
• The issue is the gum levels help determine your esthetics.  If you lose too much bone, you may not be able to simply bone graft and fix the issue and therefore the gum levels will be altered and affect your esthetics.

• Snap on dentures and All on 4 can have better esthetics than trying to do a bunch of individual implants, especially in the esthetic areas up front.
• The reason is because the prosthesis can easily replicate the gums and teeth.
• Please see my video about dental implants or a bridge when you have bone loss and also my video about periodontal disease and is All on 4 an Option?

• In this example, the patient is very gummy.  If we did individual implants, it would be difficult to control the esthetics because her gum and bone levels are at different levels and not symmetrical
• The use of a full prosthesis that’s available with All on 4 or snap on dentures, allows for us to fix this issue with ease.

• The overpass has to be designed to allow enough trucks with a heavy load to all pass together at the same time.  
• This means the road has to be thick enough.  This is equivalent to your prosthesis being thick enough.
• This means you need enough pillars of support at a minimum distance apart.  This is equivalent to you having enough implants not too far apart from each other.
• This means your pillars be a certain thickness and depth into the ground.  This is equivalent to you having a thick enough implant a certain length and depth into your bone.
• Finally, if you have soft soil or soft bone, you should probably increase the number of pillars or implants.

Next Video

• How long does it take to get a dental implant? 
• How long does it take to have a tooth in your mouth?  
• What about those commercials on tv where you get your teeth in a day.