Dental Implantology Terms and Definitions

4 minute read

It’s exciting to discover that dental implants can restore your smile by successfully replacing one or more missing teeth. Dental implants offer several advantages over other missing teeth solutions like bridges or dentures. These advantages include:

• Implants can prevent bone loss and preserve jaw structure
• Implants don’t require natural teeth to be filed down
• Implants allow you to enjoy a normal diet
• Implants can look, feel and function just like natural teeth
• Implants can provide superior stability and comfort

Implant dentistry involves the use of special instruments and techniques that will likely be new to you. Although our dentists will thoroughly explain the procedure and answer all your questions, you may benefit from learning some common terms and their definitions before surgery.

3D Bone Scan (CBCT)

3D Imaging in dentistry continues to improve the quality of care delivered. Perth Dental Implant Centre uses 3D radiographs to evaluate your jaw before surgically planning where an implant should go. This xray, known as a CBCT or a 3D bone scan, provides an accurate view of bone, nerves, and other vital tissues.

The three-dimensional image of your jaw enables the dentist to precisely place the dental implant while avoiding these structures. A 3D bone scan is the first step on the treatment journey, ensuring you have enough healthy jawbone for dental implants to be placed.

Abutment

After the implant is placed, a connector fastens to the implant. A dental bonding material permanently attaches a crown or bridge to an abutment to securely hold it in place. Abutments are used to secure single dental implants, fixed implant bridges and full mouth dental implants, including All-on-4®. At Perth Dental Implant Centre, we can provide standard and custom abutments for dental implants.

All-on-4® and All-on-X

All-on-4® is a full-arch dental implant technique developed by Professor Paulo Malo in collaboration with Nobel Biocare. The term refers to a full set of replacement teeth supported by four or more dental implants. Both the All-on-4® protocol and implant system are registered trademarks of Nobel Biocare.

The technique involves placing the back dental implants at approximately a 45-degree angle, which can help avoid or reduce the need for bone grafting in some patients. A fixed implant bridge is typically attached within 24 hours of surgery, providing an immediate solution for replacing missing or severely damaged teeth.

All-on-X is a broader, non-branded term often used interchangeably with All-on-4®. The main difference is the implant system used, as Nobel Biocare’s trademark restrictions mean dentists can only use the term All-on-4® when genuine Nobel Biocare implant systems are used. All-on-X may also refer to the number of implants supporting the bridge, such as All-on-5, while the overall surgical concept remains the same.

Other interchangeable terms that you might come across include:

• Full-arch dental implants
• Full-mouth dental implants
• Full-arch implant bridge
• Full-mouth reconstruction with implants
• Teeth-on-implants
• Fixed full-arch teeth
• Implant-supported full bridge
• Same-day teethTeeth in a Day®
• Immediate-load dental implants
• 4-on-1 dental implants
• All-on-5 / All-on-6 / All-on-8
• All-on Implants
• All-on-4 Plus

At Perth Dental Implant Centre, we use Nobel Biocare and Southern Implants implant systems for full-arch dental implant treatment, including All-on-4®.

Alveolectomy

An alveolectomy is a procedure where the dentist reshapes the alveolar (jaw) bone and removes infected tissue to create a flat and stable surface to support dental implants and prosthetic teeth. This is a common procedure that dentists perform to achieve better outcomes with full arch treatment.

Bone Grafting

After a tooth is lost, the bone around the extraction site naturally begins to shrink or deteriorate over time. Bone grafting is a procedure that uses small amounts of bone taken from other areas of the mouth, combined with artificial bone material, to rebuild and regenerate lost bone. This helps create a stable foundation to support a dental implant. Bone grafts are commonly recommended for clients who have been missing one or more teeth for an extended period.

In some cases, advanced full-arch dental implant techniques such as pterygoid and zygomatic implants can help avoid the need for bone grafting altogether. These specialised techniques allow experienced implant dentists to treat clients with significant bone loss by using areas of stronger existing bone for implant support.

Dental Crown

A dental implant replaces the root of a missing tooth but not the crown of the tooth. The visible part of a tooth above the gum line needs replacing with a crown . The crown is connected to the implant via an abutment.

Dental Implant

An implant is a titanium screw-like post surgically placed in to the jaw that replaces the root of a tooth. It connects to a crown or bridge using an abutment.

Edentulism

A clinical term describing partially or wholly missing teeth. An edentulous patient is one with no natural remaining teeth.

Immediate Final Bridge

An immediate final bridge is a term used by some dentists to describe an custom-milled PMMA (acrylic) full-arch bridge reinforced with a milled titanium frame for additional strength and durability. This type of bridge is attached to full-arch dental implants within a few days of surgery as part of an immediate-load treatment approach.

Since 2026, the dentists at Perth Dental Implant Centre have refined their treatment protocols, returning to the original two-bridge restoration approach designed to provide patients with high-quality, long-term replacement teeth. Under this protocol, a temporary custom-milled PMMA (acrylic) bridge is fitted shortly after surgery and worn for approximately 3 to 4 months while the implants heal and integrate with the bone. Once healing is complete, the temporary bridge is replaced with a stronger, more durable zirconia bridge designed for long-term function and aesthetics.

Immediate Implant

Under certain circumstances, you can have a failing tooth removed and replaced with a dental implant in the same surgery. Sometimes referred to as a same-day implant, the placement of a temporary crown allows time for the implant to bond to the bone before restoring the implant with a permanent crown 3 to 4 months later. The advantages of immediate implant placement include:

• Requires less treatment time and fewer appointments
• Helps to maintain the jaw bone and gum tissue for a better outcome
• Reduces overall healing time

Monolithic Zirconia

Monolithic zirconia or full contour zirconia is zirconia that’s been milled from a single block of zirconium oxide. It offers added strength and resists stains. Zirconia is a tooth material of choice for crowns and full mouth dental implant bridges.

Osseointegration

A term used to describe the healing process in which a dental implant fuses to the jaw bone. The process can take between three and six months and is critical to the long-term success of dental implant treatment.

Overdenture

A full denture supported by dental implants that helps to stabilise and improve the function and feel of a denture. It clips on and off denture abutments for daily cleaning and needs to be left out overnight like a regular denture. It is also known as an implant-retained or implant-supported denture.

Prosthesis

A dental prosthesis refers to an artificial tooth or teeth, such as a crown, bridge or denture. Artificial teeth replace missing or extracted teeth and are sometimes known as prosthetic teeth.

Pterygoid Implants

Pterygoid implants are longer than conventional dental implants (between 15mm to 18mm in length) and are placed into the pterygoid process of the sphenoid bone. They are often used to support prosthetic teeth in the upper jawbone when conventional implants do not suffice.

TGA

Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is Australia’s regulatory authority for therapeutic goods including medicines, medical devices and diagnostic tests. In Australia, dentists may only used dental implant parts and systems that have been approved for use by the TGA.

Titanium

Titanium remains the gold standard for the fabrication of dental implants (1). There are several advantages of titanium which has made it the material of choice for dental implants, such as:

• Strong but lightweight
• Few people are allergic to titanium
• Titanium fuses with existing bone
• Titanium has decades of success as the primary dental implant material

Metal-free implant alternatives such as zirconia also exist, but are less common.

Zirconia

Zirconia is a biocompatible restorative material used for single tooth implant crowns, fixed implant bridges and full mouth implant bridges. Before zirconia was used in dentistry, dentists would use PFM (porcelain fused to metal) restorations which would sometimes cause reactions in patients with metal allergies. Zirconia is a relatively new tooth material that can last anywhere from 5 to 15 years or longer with proper care.

Zygomatic Implants

Zygomatic implants are long dental implants (between 35mm to 55mm in length) that are placed into the zygomatic bone, the upper part of the cheekbone.

Get in Touch Today

Dental implants can change your smile and improve your overall health by comfortably and safely replacing missing teeth. Our dentists are highly trained with a combined 30 years of clinical experience using the latest implant technology and advanced techniques.

Book a free implant consultation with our Applecross team today, call 1300 108 133.

References

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5449026/