Choosing the Right Dental Implant Material in East Lansing, MI

Dentures that pop out while you talk, or chew are now a thing of the past. 

If you need to replace one or more missing, damaged, or failing teeth, dental implants in East Lansing, MI, can give you the everlasting, healthy smile you deserve.

Comfortable, natural-looking, and very secure, dental implants are a great alternative to traditional removable dentures.

If you plan to get dental implants in East Lansing, MI, you may be curious about the materials and their benefits that make up dental implants. 

What Is a Dental Implant?

A dental implant is a small rod or screw-shaped material surgically placed directly into your jawbone, functioning as an artificial tooth root.

A dental implant usually has a titanium screw that goes into the jawbone. It serves as a substitute for the root of the tooth.

A metal connector, or abutment, is placed on or built into the top of the dental implant. Lastly, a crown, a replacement tooth usually made from porcelain that is custom fabricated to match your natural teeth, is placed atop the abutment, completing the dental implant. The screw merges with the bone in a process known as osseointegration, creating a permanent base for the implant.

What Dental Conditions Can Benefit from Dental Implants?

Missing teeth affect your smile’s overall appearance. They can also cause your other healthy teeth to move into incorrect positions. East Lansing patients with one or more missing teeth can benefit from dental implants. Patients might need dental implants if they have teeth loss due to:

• Cavities (tooth decay).
• Tooth root fracture.
• Bruxism (clenching or grinding your teeth).
• Gum disease.
• Facial injury.
• Congenitally missing teeth (you were born without certain teeth). 

Benefits Of Dental Implants

Dental implants have become one of the most popular tooth restoration procedures in no time, offering several benefits that include:

• Improvement in speech. 
• Ability to enjoy all types of foods. 
• Function and appearance similar to natural teeth. 
• Provide comfort, prevent slippage, and do not require adhesives. 
• Durability. 

Types Of Materials Used To Fabricate Dental Implants

The kind of material you select for your implants should depend on your personal preference, budget, and recommendations from a cosmetic dentist in East Lansing, MI. 

Both ceramic and titanium dental implants are safe, are FDA-approved, and have undergone extensive testing before making them available to the general public. Both of these materials are safe and biocompatible. (friendly to the tissues inside of your mouth).

Traditionally, titanium is preferred to fabricate dental implants, but ceramic implants, such as zirconia, have evolved as alternative options.

Titanium is the most popular material used to make dental implants. It has impressive strength and is very durable. The implant structure includes three pieces: a titanium screw placed beneath the gum line, which fuses with the jawbone, an abutment that connects to the screw above the gum line; and a color-matched, natural-looking porcelain dental crown. These multiple pieces make the implant easier to place correctly. If a crown is damaged, it’s straightforward to replace. 

Zirconia implants are considered metal-free. Treating Zirconium and converting it into Zirconium Oxide makes it a ceramic, which is why they’re also called ceramic implants. Patients can expect less plaque accumulation with ceramic implants. Over time, titanium implants may show a visible metal appearance around the gum line. Ceramic implants look like natural teeth and provide a highly appealing appearance.

The general concept in titanium and ceramic implants is the same. However, ceramic implants usually do not include an abutment piece. Ceramic implants are trickier to place precisely without an abutment piece and end up less flexible than three-piece titanium implants. 

Titanium implants are a much older option. They have withstood the test of time in the dental industry for much longer. Ceramic dental implants are a relatively newer option, offering strength and durability similar to titanium without the risk of corrosion. Ceramic implants may be the only alternative for East Lansing, MI, patients allergic to titanium or other metals. At Schaefer Dental Group, we advise patients with a history of allergies to obtain a metal allergy assessment before placing permanent titanium implants.

As titanium is highly resistant to external forces, titanium implant fractures are rare. Research suggests that ceramic implants break faster than titanium implants. 

The complicated industrial process of manufacturing ceramic implants has a massive impact on price, making them more expensive. 

Schaefer Dental Group: Dental Heroes Making Meaningful Differences in Patients’ Lives In East Lansing, MI 

At Schaefer Dental Group, our highly skilled dental experts can answer all your questions about dental implants. While the differences between titanium and ceramic dental implants might be minor, they are worth discussing with dentists. 

At our dental office in East Lansing, MI, our onsite dental laboratory has access to state-of-the-art equipment and computer software. Our gifted technicians can match your dental crowns perfectly with your natural teeth, so even you can’t tell them apart.

Schaefer Dental Group is proud to provide the broadest possible choice of private dentistry to our East Lansing clients, including general dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, hygienist services, gum disease treatment, endodontics, orthodontics, oral cancer detection, and TMJ disorders. 

Ready to get started? Contact us immediately to schedule your appointment at our dental clinic in East Lansing, MI.