When are Implant Supported Dentures Recommended by a Dentist?

Implant-supported dentures combine dentures and implants to provide patients with a more stable solution for missing teeth than traditional dentures. Dentures are the most affordable way to replace missing teeth, but that comes at the price of having to deal with the poor stability associated with dentures.

Denture wearers often find themselves adjusting their oral prosthetic as it shifts in their mouth, as they go about their day. This constant movement can lead to the rigid part of the prosthetic irritating soft tissues in the mouth leading to sores. To make things worse, the poor stability that comes with dentures can lead to a person’s artificial teeth falling out of their mouth as they talk.

How implant-supported dentures provide a better alternative

Dentures can be stabilized in the mouth by attaching them to implants. Implants are screws or rods that go into a person’s jaw. These implants are left there to fuse with bone tissues over the next six months. The process is called osseointegration and it turns the implants into part of the patient’s jaw.

Implants help to prevent the bone tissue loss that often takes place after a tooth falls out. It is caused by the jaw no longer being stimulated by the root that comes out when a tooth falls out. Just as is the norm with muscles, bone tissues disintegrate if they are no longer being stimulated. Implants are the only oral prosthetic that keeps the jaw properly stimulated. Bite forces travel down the implant into bone tissues, providing the same type of stimulation they would get from a real tooth’s root.

Implants would be the ideal option to replace all of a patient’s teeth, but the cost of doing that would exceed most people’s budgets. A single implant can cost more than the price of a full denture set that replaces all of a person’s missing teeth. Combining implants with dentures helps to lower costs, while still giving the patient the bone preserving benefits of implants. The patient also gets artificial teeth that are almost as stable as real teeth roots. It leads to a more comfortable experience for the patient and less of an adjustment period.

What to expect

Getting implants requires patients to be healthy enough for the procedure. It is a surgical procedure after all, so patients should be in relatively good health. Conditions like diabetes and immune system issues can make the recovery process more complicated. Dentists will evaluate such patients on an individual basis.

Habits like drinking and smoking tobacco products can also negatively impact a person’s ability to lead. Patients should be willing to give up such habits, particularly leading up to and after their surgery.

Another eligibility requirement patients have to meet when getting implants is the thickness of their jawbone. Patients should have enough bone tissues to hold implants in place. Bone grafts can be used to thicken the jaws of people with inadequate thickness.

Get a better solution

Call or visit our Phoenix clinic to set up a consultation with our dentist and explore how implant-retained dentures might be the right solution for you.

Request an appointment here: https://familydentistphoenix.com or call Phoenix Family Dentistry at (602) 547-9007 for an appointment in our Phoenix office.