People have started accepting zygomatic implants as a viable treatment option – thanks to their amazing benefits (which are no more a secret) for cases involving severe jawbone loss.
However, there’s still one thing that seems to concern patients: zygomatic implants recovery time. Patients worry if the recovery will be too long or too difficult, considering the procedure itself is more complex and invasive than regular implant surgery.
While drawing such comparisons between traditional and zygomatic dental implants is natural, the assumptions about the recovery are anything but true!
In fact, the recovery may actually be longer and harder in traditional implants (in some cases), not the other way around.
But what are these cases and what does the delivery timeline entail in those? Let’s find out in this blog!
Understanding Zygomatic Implants
Let’s get a basic overview of zygomatic implants before we begin to explore their recovery.
Zygomatic implants serve the same purpose as regular dental implants (i.e. they provide a basis for permanent teeth replacement), but they do so in an unconventional manner – these implants are placed in the ‘cheekbone’ rather than the jawbone.
This unconventional placement is resorted to in cases where the patient either has severe (or irreparable) upper jawbone loss or requires extensive bone grafting to make the jawbone capable of supporting implants.
In such cases, the cheekbones (zygomatic bones) provide a perfect ‘alternative’ for implant placement.
We call it a perfect alternative because cheekbone implants offer a plethora of benefits in such cases, including:
- The cheekbones lie in close proximity to the damaged upper jaw and have the same arch-shaped structure where the implants can have a ‘straightforward’ placement. This spares patients the painful ordeal of jawbone grafting and all the waiting periods that follow.
- Since zygomatic implants are placed directly into the cheekbones (i.e. without a prior bone graft), they can immediately be topped with a prosthesis. This restores dental functionality almost instantly, that too via a single surgery (as opposed to the multiple surgeries required by bone grafting + traditional implants).
- The cheekbones exhibit the same level of strength and density as that of a healthy jawbone and provide excellent support to the implants.
- The chances of implant success are greater when you opt for zygomatic implants (because of the straightforward nature of the procedure) than opting for upper jawbone grafting followed by traditional implants.
Zygomatic Implant Recovery Vs Traditional Implant Recovery
Considering the above benefits of zygomatic implants, it’s clear that they offer a more smooth and efficient treatment modality, particularly in patients suffering from significant upper jawbone loss.
In addition to being smooth and efficient, zygomatic implants also offer quicker recovery in such cases (yes, these are the same cases we were referring to in the intro – where zygomatic implants’ recovery timeline is quicker than that of traditional implants; unlike popular assumption).
Let’s compare both of the treatments’ recovery timelines:
Initial Post-Op Healing
Traditional Implants:
- Typically, traditional implants are placed directly into the jawbone via a straightforward minimally invasive surgery. However, this isn’t possible in cases involving significant jawbone loss – as bone grafts (and even sinus lifts) may be needed, which means the patient gets multiple surgeries instead of the implant surgery only.
- Once the bone grafting is done (which itself would take 3-6 months to heal) and the implants have finally been placed, it’d take roughly 7-10 days for the surgical site to heal. Mild bruising, pain and swelling are expected during this time.
Zygomatic Implants:
- Although zygomatic implants bypass the need for jawbone grafts entirely and are hence quickly placed, their placement into the cheekbones warrants a more invasive procedure. The surgery involves a larger surgical area, including the cheek and the sinus regions as well.
- Soft tissue healing around the implants takes longer due to the complex nature of the surgery, taking around 2-3 weeks. The healing symptoms are also more pronounced.
Functional Recovery And Osseointegration
Traditional Implants:
- There are two main issues when you get bone grafts followed by traditional implants. First – the implants can’t be placed unless the bone grafts heal. Second – you need to rely on a soft diet for 6-8 weeks, even when the implants (and a temporary prosthesis) have been placed, to avoid disturbing the implant healing process. This means normal functioning can’t be resumed until and unless you get the permanent prosthesis placed.
- Here comes the third concerning part: the implants need to fuse with the surrounding jawbone (via a process called osseointegration) before we can replace the temporary prosthesis with a permanent one. Osseointegration itself takes about 3-6 months on average. Moreover, if it’s preceded by a bone graft, then the entire healing period (graft + osseointegration) would amount to 9-12 months in total, which means the patient has to wait this long before they can chew and speak normally.
Zygomatic Implants:
- Since zygomatic implants are placed directly, they allow a temporary prosthesis to be loaded immediately – meaning you can resume normal chewing and speaking almost instantly! Even though you’d still be required to have a soft diet for the first few weeks, your normal chewing and speaking abilities are restored early on.
- The implants, however, would still need to go through the necessary osseointegration period (requiring 4-6 months in the case of zygomatic implants) before a permanent prosthesis can be placed.
Long Term Recovery
Traditional Implants:
- As mentioned earlier, the permanent prosthesis is placed after the completion of osseointegration, which may take up to 9-12 months (when bone grafting is also involved).
- However, full recovery and adaptation to the prosthesis will take about 12-18 months, especially in cases where extensive bone grafting is done.
Zygomatic Implants:
- In the case of zygomatic implants, as mentioned earlier, the temporary prosthesis typically loaded immediately. This is followed by an osseointegration period (of 4-6 months) and then permanent prosthesis placement.
- Even though there’s instant functionality, complete recovery might take up to 8-12 months due to the complex nature of the procedure.
Conclusion
If you want the freedom of permanent teeth restoration but your jawbone is too weak to support regular implants, then investing in zygomatic implants has to be your best bet! These innovative implants not only offer smooth and efficient results but quicker recovery as well.
For more insights into zygomatic implants, schedule a FREE consultation with Elk Grove Implant Clinic, a premium dental practice located in Elk Grove, California. Talk to our team of implant experts and pave your way to a healthy and happy smile restoration!
