The types of dental implants

1. Endosteal implants — the standard

Endosteal (meaning "within the bone") implants are what most people picture when they think of a dental implant: a small, threaded titanium post placed surgically into the jawbone. After a healing period of roughly three to six months, the bone integrates with the implant surface and it becomes a stable foundation for a crown, bridge or full-arch prosthesis.

They are used for single missing teeth, multiple gaps, and full-arch restorations such as All-on-4 and All-on-6. Because they have decades of clinical evidence behind them and the highest documented success rates — generally above 95% at ten years — endosteal implants are the default for almost every candidate with adequate bone. If you have lost bone height, a graft or sinus lift can often build it back so that an endosteal implant remains possible.

2. Subperiosteal implants — when bone is too thin

A subperiosteal implant does not go into the bone. Instead, a custom metal framework is placed on top of the jawbone but beneath the gum, with small posts protruding through the gum to hold the teeth. Historically these were used for patients with too little bone for traditional implants who did not want grafting.

Modern implant dentistry has largely replaced subperiosteal implants with bone grafting, zygomatic implants and angled placement, because bone-anchored implants are more predictable and longer-lasting. They still appear occasionally in complex reconstructive cases, but for the overwhelming majority of patients they are no longer the first choice.

3. Zygomatic implants — for severe upper-jaw bone loss

Zygomatic implants are considerably longer than standard implants and are anchored not in the jaw but in the dense zygomatic (cheek) bone. This clever route bypasses the soft, resorbed bone of the upper jaw entirely. For patients who have lost so much upper-jaw bone that conventional implants would require months of grafting, zygomatic implants can support a fixed full arch — sometimes on the same day.

They are a specialist procedure and should only be carried out by an experienced surgeon, because the anatomy involved is more demanding. Where they are appropriate, they can dramatically shorten treatment and avoid major grafting surgery. Clinics that offer full-arch rehabilitation, such as Taki Dent, will assess whether a zygomatic approach is suitable as part of the treatment plan.

4. Mini implants — narrow and minimally invasive

Mini dental implants (MDIs) are smaller in diameter than standard implants — typically under 3 mm. Their most common job is to stabilise a lower denture that keeps moving, snapping onto the implants so the denture stays put while eating and talking. Because they are narrow, they can sometimes be placed without raising a flap and with faster healing.

The trade-off is that mini implants are not as robust as full-size implants for heavy chewing forces, so they are generally not used to replace individual back teeth on their own. For denture stabilisation, though, they are a cost-effective and far less invasive option that can transform comfort.

Titanium vs zirconia implants

Most implants are made of titanium, a metal that the body tolerates extremely well and that osseointegrates reliably. Zirconia (a tooth-coloured ceramic) is a metal-free alternative chosen by patients who prefer a non-metal solution or who have very thin gums where a metallic grey shadow could show. Both materials are biocompatible and clinically successful; titanium still has the longer track record and more design flexibility, while zirconia offers an aesthetic and metal-free option.

• Titanium: strongest evidence base, widest range of systems and sizes, slight grey colour hidden beneath the gum.
• Zirconia: tooth-coloured and metal-free, good for thin or translucent gums, fewer long-term studies.

How the right type is chosen

You do not need to choose the type yourself — that is the clinician's job, based on a CBCT scan and an assessment of your bone, gums and bite. As a patient, the useful thing to understand is that the existence of these four types means very few people are genuinely "not suitable" for implants. Bone loss that once ruled patients out can now be solved with grafting, angled implants, zygomatic implants or denture-stabilising mini implants. The next chapter looks at the most popular full-arch solutions, All-on-4 and All-on-6.