Fin Implants

Fin implants are ideal dental implants for patients who have thin jaw bone ridges

These were designed by the great implantologist Professor Hilt Tatum. Fin implants are ideal dental implants for patients who have thin jaw bone ridges, as a result of tooth loss (especially if the tooth has not been replaced with a prosthetic tooth for a long period of time). Patients with thin jaw bone ridges can turn to fin implants for their dental implant needs, because the thin jaw bone ridges may not be wide enough to allow placement of conventional dental (screw) implants.

Fin implants may eliminate the need for a patient to have a bone grafting procedure; this procedure involves the addition of more bone mass to the patient’s thin jaw bone ridge, so that the dental implant will have more substantial bone mass to anchor to. Fine implants have the advantage that they are thin but have a huge surface area for bone to integrate to thus providing excellent support.

Steps in the Placement of Fin Implants

1. The dentist or dental surgeon makes an incision on the patient’s gums, to be able to expose and access the jawbone underneath.

2. Using fine instruments , the dentist makes a small hole within the jaw bone.

3. Bone expansion instruments will then be used by the dentist to be able to create a bigger hole, which creates enough space for the fin implants.

4. The fin implant will be positioned into the socket (osteotomy) created in the jaw bone. The end of the fin implant will then be sealed with a cap.

5. The dentist or dental surgeon will then close the gums over the fin implant with stitches, and will allow the implant to integrate with the surrounding tissues for a period of two to three months.

6. After the specified waiting/healing period has passed, a prosthetic tooth (or a dental crown) will then be attached securely to the fin implant.