Dental Implants Existing Partial
Whether you have partial or full dentures, then you are already familiar with the common problems that come with dentures. Choosing the proper amount of denture adhesive to keep your dentures in place, carefully choosing your foods for meals that you will be able to chew, and worrying that people will notice the clicking noise of your dentures moving while you eat and speak are just a few of the day to day worries that come with denture wearing. At the end of the day when you take out your dentures for cleaning, your worries don’t stop. You will need to remove any remaining denture adhesive from your gums and address any sores that have resulted from the dentures rubbing from uneven pressure.
Many of these issues can be resolved when the dentures are anchored in place by attachments to strategically placed dental implants. The dental implants offer a secure foundation for the dentures created by an oral surgeon and the implanted posts have abutments on top that connect to the dentures. The dental implants will help you overcome many of the struggles that come along with traditional dentures. And looking forward, traditional dentures need to be adjusted over time to address the bone loss in the jaw, but the dental implants will help the jaw bone from deteriorating at the same rate.
When it comes to the effect of dental implants on the denture performance you will no longer need to use denture creams and adhesives. The implants will allow you to know that the dentures will stay where you put them all day no matter what you choose to eat. If you already have dentures that you like to wear, then you can work with the dentist to customize your dentures to work with your dental implants. In some cases old dentures are able to be fitted with attachments so the dentist will have new dentures fabricated that will snap on to the dental implants. The increased comfort of your dentures with dental implants frees your gums from denture adhesive and adds more confidence to your smile. You will be able to improve your diet by including foods you avoided with regular dentures and have a more supported facial structure overall. With all those improvements, you will have many reasons to share your smile.
How Dentures and Implants Work Together
The dentist will take measurements of your jaw and note the nuances of your bite to fabricate dentures for your unique mouth. The dentist may recommend using dentures to replace multiple missing teeth, so the dentures can be made to replace a full jaw of teeth, full dentures, or just a few teeth, partial dentures. Upper dentures will fit over the roof of your mouth and the lower dentures are in a horseshoe shape to accommodate your tongue. Partial dentures are designed to attach to your remaining teeth; they can be compared to a removable dental bridge.
Dental implants are usually titanium screws but can be made from zirconia as well. They are surgically placed in the jaw bone to create a root to anchor the dental prosthesis whether its a single tooth or dentures. The jaw bone heals around the dental implant and fuses to the implant forming an artificial tooth root.
Implant retained dentures are most commonly used for the lower jaw where traditional dentures are the most unstable. Implant retained dentures are used for upper jaw dentures as well, allowing for a smaller denture and increased comfort. The placement and number of implants vary from person to person based on your specific needs, but most often there are four implants placed in each jaw. Two implants will be towards the front of your jaw and two will be towards the back, depending on how much bone is left.
When the dentist combines the budget conscious price of dentures to replace more than one tooth with the advanced approach of dental implants, the result is a tooth replacement option that is superior to traditional dentures.
Problems with Regular Dentures
When it comes to traditional dentures, it is difficult to keep them in place by suction alone, so people try to use denture paste or adhesive. According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, dentures should not require fixative if they are properly fit and maintained. Even with denture adhesive, traditional dentures can be loose or completely slide out of place. When dentures are held in place with dental implants, they are secure and stable like natural teeth. Depending on the type of attachment, they can be removed for cleaning. Some dentures attach with a bar and clip and others attach with a ball and socket. Specific attachments will allow you to clean your dentures regularly at home and other attachments require the dentist to remove for periodic cleaning.
Why Overdentures are Better than Regular Dentures
Other than providing dentures with the stability similar to natural teeth, implant retained dentures can offer people who need to replace multiple missing teeth:
- Affordability - Instead of having to replace each individual tooth with a dental implant, you can look to the cost effective approach of replacing multiple teeth with one prosthetic.
- Clear Speech and Diction - When your dentures do not fit properly, they can click when you speak. In some cases, they can slide around resulting in slurred words or mumbling to prevent the dentures from coming out of your mouth completely. When dentures are held in place firmly, you can articulate your words as you would with natural teeth.
- Permanent Fixture - Implant retained dentures allow you to replace multiple missing teeth while anchoring the dentures in place. Traditional dentures will need to be refit and adjusted over time to account for the changes to your jaw. The implants will help slow the bone loss that comes with traditional dentures. If you have a dental bridge, they will need to be adjusted over time as well due to changes in your mouth and surrounding teeth.
- Appearance and Functionality Improvements - If you have been living with multiple missing teeth, your body starts to lose bone density in your jaw where the missing teeth are. When there is not a tooth root to stimulate the jawbone, traditional dentures will not address this bone loss. Dental implants can help strengthen the jaw bone by fusing with the bone and slow the bone loss over time.