Subperiosteal Dental Implant

Dental implants are most commonly endosteal implants, which means they are implanted into the jawbone. However, some patients have insufficient bone mass or density to support an implant, whether through osteoporosis, an accident, aging, condylar resorption, chronic sinus issues, or other conditions.

In that case, your oral surgeon may recommend a subperiosteal implant instead, which rests on top of the jaw. The metal framework of the implant protrudes through the gum into the prosthesis rather than through the bone.

Patients with minimal bone height are often unable to wear conventional dentures in addition to being ineligible for traditional implants. Subperiosteal implants provide a viable alternative for these patients that comes with a few key advantages, such as not requiring bone grafts, being as stable for replacement teeth as endosteal implants, being customizable to the patient’s jaw to support one or more missing teeth, even a full arch, and being just as easy to clean and maintain as real teeth.