If you have been researching dental implants, you may have run into terms like advanced implants or zygomatic implants, or maybe another office told you that you don't have enough bone. So how do you know if you are someone who might need advanced implants? In a recent video, Dr. Kendall gave the honest answer: there is really no way for you to know on your own. It takes a dentist who captures a 3D scan and can actually measure your bone virtually.
Understanding why that scan matters, and what advanced implants actually involve, can save you from paying for a more complicated treatment than you really need.
Watch: Do You Need Advanced Dental Implants?
Why You Can't Know Without a 3D Scan
The amount and quality of bone in your jaw simply cannot be judged from the outside, or even from a standard flat X-ray. The only way to know whether standard implants will work for you is a 3D cone beam CT scan (CBCT), which lets us measure your bone virtually, see exactly where your nerves run and how deep they are, and evaluate your sinuses before any surgery begins.
From Bone Sounding to 3D Cone Beam Technology
When Dr. Kendall started placing implants 18 years ago, cone beam CT scans were still new in the dental implant world. Very few dentists had the technology, and it was far more expensive. Back then, dentists relied on a technique called bone sounding: numbing the patient and probing the gum to estimate how thick the bone might be. There was no true way to determine where the nerves were, how deep they sat, or how much tissue was there.
3D cone beam CT scans changed all of that. Today we can virtually plan every case before surgery, seeing exactly where the bone is, how large the sinuses are, and which size implant fits safely in each position. That is why 3D imaging has become the norm in implant dentistry.
You should not be going to someone who's doing implants who is not taking a 3D scan and pre-planning your surgery off of that scan, where they know exactly where those critical structures are.
What Counts as an Advanced Dental Implant?
Advanced implant dentistry is about knowing how to avoid critical structures like nerves and sinuses, choosing the right implant sizes, and reading the quality of your bone. In most cases, Dr. Kendall can complete even complex cases without going into the cheekbones. Once implants anchor into the cheekbones, they are called zygomatic implants, a more involved procedure that required education all over the world to master, and one that does cost more.
Here is the part most patients don't expect: the other advanced techniques Dr. Kendall uses rely on the same implants as a standard case, just placed with different techniques, and he does not charge additional for them. The advanced skill is in the planning and placement, not a more expensive product.
Told You Don't Have Enough Bone? That's Not the Final Word
We see people all the time who were told at other offices that they don't have enough bone for implants. That does not mean you will hear the same thing here, and it does not mean you need the more expensive zygomatic implants. In many cases we can restore your smile with traditional implants placed using advanced techniques, and when grafting genuinely helps, there are several types of dental bone grafts that can rebuild support. It is the same honest evaluation we use when determining who's a candidate for dental implants.
The Only Way to Know: Come In for a 3D Scan
The only way to know what your case truly requires is to have your bone measured on a 3D scan. That is exactly what the complimentary Ultimate Smile Assessment is for. It is a $500 value at no cost to you and includes a 3D CBCT scan, so Dr. Kendall can show you exactly what you are working with and whether standard implants, advanced techniques, or zygomatic implants are the right path.
Get a Straight Answer in Longview, Tyler, or Shreveport
Whether your case turns out to be straightforward or advanced, our team at Texas Sedation Dental & Implant Center in Longview, Tyler, and Shreveport will plan it on a 3D scan and tell you the truth about what you need, and your fixed smile is backed by our Love Your Smile Money Back Guarantee. Schedule your complimentary Ultimate Smile Assessment today and find out what is actually possible for your smile.
