Have you ever been told that you have to suffer with dentures because you don’t have enough jawbone to support other solutions? Zygoma implants may be for you.
Medical professionals and dental health professionals use a variety of innovative techniques to improve the function and appearance of teeth. Some of the most recent advancements include dental implants, which allow the mounting of replacement teeth onto a metal post or frame that has been surgically implanted in your jaw. To anchor the supporting post, the surgeon drills directly into the bone tissue that holds teeth in place, known as alveolar bone.
Implants are the closest thing you can get to your natural teeth. Not everyone can have traditional implants, though, because they do not have enough jaw bone to support the implant posts. Many people lose teeth as the result of a common and serious gum disease, known as periodontitis. The infection damages the soft tissue and erodes the alveolar bone that holds teeth in place in the jaw.
This means that many people who have lost teeth have also lost a lot of bone. In some cases, they may have lost too much of the alveolar bone to support traditional implants. Many of these patients undergo bone grafting, which is a procedure that involves removing bone tissue from another part of the mouth or body and transplanting it into the jawbone. The oral surgeon implants the post after the bone graft heals, which can take several months.
Zygoma implants are the solution for people who have the most severe amounts of bone loss in their upper jaws – without bone grafting.
About Zygoma Implants
The most notable difference between zygoma implants and traditional implants is the location of the surgically-implanted anchors. In traditional implants, the surgeon places the anchors in the alveolar bone that surrounds the teeth. In zygoma implants, the surgeon places the anchors in the cheek bone, also known as the zygoma or zygomatic bone.
The zygoma is the cheekbone that sits below your eye and to the side of your nose. It is much more solid than the alveolar bone in the back part of the upper jaw. The strong, solid nature of the zygoma bone helps provide support and longevity to the implants.
To place zygoma implants, the surgeon places one to two implants into the zygoma bone on each side of the upper jaw. The oral & maxillofacial surgeon will also place two to four regular implants towards the front of the jaw, near the area where the patient’s upper front teeth used to be.
Having the extra support gained from placing implants in the zygoma provides many benefits for the longevity of the dental implant restoration, where the upper jaw bone is typically very soft.
Benefits of Zygoma Implants
Zygoma implants provide a number of benefits.
No grafting necessary
Most patients who undergo zygoma implants do not need bone grafts.
Same-day smiles
You leave the office with functioning fixed teeth on the same day of the surgery. You do not have to wait for your teeth to be completely healed before getting your replacement teeth, which means you have teeth on the same day as the procedure. Your oral surgeon may even pull the loose teeth on the same day as the zygoma implant placement procedure to save you even more time.
No more upper dentures
Your upper teeth stay in place permanently, so you will never be embarrassed by wearing upper dentures again.
Shortens the completion time for upper jaw restoration
Because you don’t have to wait for bone grafts to heal, upper jaw restorations using zygoma implants can be completed in a much shorter time.
Implants are stronger and last much longer
The strong zygoma bone provides a sturdy anchor for the teeth, which means your dental implants will last much longer.
The procedure is done under IV sedation
Your oral surgeon will administer intravenous (IV) sedation for the procedure. This allows you to sleep comfortably while the surgeon places the zygoma implants.
Zygoma implants may be the right choice for you if you have lost teeth and have been told that you do not have enough jaw bone to support traditional dental implants. For more information about zygoma implants, contact your oral & maxillofacial surgeon today.
