Are Splinted Implants Right For You?
Posted on: 7 July 2022
If you are missing multiple teeth, you may be looking into single-unit dental implants, dentures, or bridges. One option you may want to consider is a splinted implant. Splinted implants are implants that are fused together at the crown—like a bridge. While portions of a dental bridge may only sit above the gumline, splinted implants still have posts beneath the gumline for each individual tooth. There are some pros and cons for splinted implants, so ask yourself the following questions to see if splinted implants would be a good fit.
Are You Getting Short Implants?
Some people may only be able to get shorter dental implants if they don't have the jawbone to support longer posts. Splinted implants can help the single implants have more stability and biomechanical support so that they integrate into the jawbone.
Are You Getting Implants With External Hex Screws?
There are many different brands and types of implants depending on your health needs and your dentist's brand preferences. If you are getting an implant with an external hex screw, then splinted implants can be a good fit. Implants with external hex screws have abutments that are more fragile, so a splinted implant can provide additional support to occlusal forces. If you have an internal platform connection in your implant, then splinted implants aren't recommended since the occlusal forces aren't evenly distributed through these restorations.
Are Your Natural Teeth Healthy or Loose?
If you still have some natural teeth but they are loose due to short roots or previous periodontal disease, they could benefit from being splinted with composite next to an implant. If you have healthy natural teeth next to implants, then it's not a good idea to splint them since the splinted material can break. Natural teeth typically have stronger occlusal forces, so the pressure will not be evenly distributed through the restorative material.
Do You Suffer From Bruxism?
Splinted implants cannot withstand bruxism. Although splinted implants can generally strengthen the restoration in other scenarios, they don't act as great shock absorbers to teeth grinding. If a patient with bruxism gets splinted implants, the ceramic crowns are at risk of fracturing.
Did You Have Previous Implants that Failed?
If you've had single-implant units that have failed or you are at great risk for implant failure, a splinted approach can be beneficial because it's easier to fabricate splinted units rather than trying to replace multiple adjacent single-unit implants.
Reach out to a dentist in your area today for more details on dental implants.
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