Have you decided to get a dental implant to fix teeth that are missing? If so, you might be surprised to learn that there is more than one type of dental implant that you have to pick from. Here is what you should know about the three types of implants so you can make a well-informed decision.

A Single Implant

A lone implant is used in a situation where you are only missing one tooth in a part of your mouth. It is the process you most likely think about when you get a dental implant. This is when there is a titanium post that is inserted into the jawbone to support the artificial tooth. A crown is placed on the tooth after the post fully integrates, and you can use it just as if it's a natural tooth. Many people love using a single implant in situations like this due to it being an effective way to replace one tooth. You'll end up with a replacement tooth that looks and feels natural, which cannot be beaten with a bridge or partial denture.

An Implant Bridge

When you have more than one tooth missing next to one another, know that you do not need to get a single dental implant for each missing tooth in your mouth. Without implants, you would support several missing teeth in your mouth by putting crowns on the surrounding healthy teeth that hold a dental bridge in place. Much like with a traditional dental bridge, you can support a row of fake teeth with implants.

For instance, if you're missing a few teeth in a row, you can have an implant placed on each side of the gap. Instead of putting a single crown on the posts, you would place a bridge on the post that connects to the other post. You'll use fewer implants to get the job done, and it is just as effective.

An Implant Denture

Do you need to have an entire top or bottom row of teeth replaced? Your only option to fix this is no longer limited to using traditional dentures. You can get a denture that snaps onto dental implants to give them much more strength and stability. The implant denture will use strategically placed posts in your jawbone to support the entire row of teeth so that you can chew all of your favorite foods once again.

Reach out to a dentist for more info on implants for fixing a missing tooth.