Here at Revitalize Implants we are proud to announce that we will soon be offering a new type of dental implant to our patients. Of course, we know you’ve probably never heard of “zygomatic implant therapy” before. That’s why we’ve taken the time to create this resource. We want you to understand all of your dental implant options.
In general, we find most of our patients have three simple questions about this revolutionary implant procedure.
What are zygomatic implants?
Zygomatic implants are a Swedish surgical technique which allows us to offer implants to patients who have suffered from a great deal of bone and gum loss in the past. Normally, we’d have to recommend bone graft surgery before such a patient could attempt an implant. This meant more time, expense, and surgical risks on the part of the patient. Zygomatic implants solve this problem by allowing implant placement within the course of a single surgery.
Zygomatic implants are longer than traditional implants, which means we can anchor them to two places: the upper jawbone, or your cheekbone (the zygoma bone). Upper jaw bone loss becomes less of a problem simply because we have more options for inducing osseointegration.
Who is the ideal candidate for a zygoma implant?
Generally, we will recommend a zygoma implant in three distinct cases:
- You are missing all or most of your teeth. If this is the case you are likely to have severe jawbone deterioration, making traditional implants more of a challenge.
- You have a severe periodontal condition which has created too much bone and gum loss for a traditional implant to work.
- You require implants in your upper jawbone. Typically, this is a very challenging location even for the healthiest of patients. That’s because your upper jawbone is very close to your sinuses, and the upper jawbone tends to be weaker than the lower jaw bone. Zygomatic implants solve this problem by affixing the implant to the cheekbone when necessary.
In other cases, traditional implants are generally a workable option. Not all patients will require zygomatic implants, even if they need implants in the upper jawbone.
What can I expect when I receive a zygomatic implant procedure?
We start with a 3D CBCT scan which lets us create an accurate computer model of your jawbones, gums, and existing teeth. This tells us a great deal about the state of your bone so that we can create an implant placement plan. The CBCT scan allows surgery to be less invasive because we don’t have to open up your gums just to get a look at your jawbone. This is good news as it typically means you’ll enjoy faster recovery times and less post-operative pain.
Revitalize allows our patients to take advantage of our gentle sedation dentistry techniques while we perform the procedure. You’ll feel comfortable and calm as we do our work. We’ll follow your individual implant placement plan during surgery. Sometimes we’ll use a mix of zygomatic and traditional implants too, depending upon your needs.
As with regular implants, zygomatic implants require two procedures to complete. The first is the placement of the implant itself. The second is the placement of the crown. We will follow up with crown placement in four to six months, once osseointegration has had a chance to take place.
Do you have more questions about zygomatic dental implants? Give our office a call. We’ll be happy to help, and we’ll be happy to set up an appointment so we can determine whether or not zygomatic implants are right for you.
