Dentures are a common solution to tooth loss for people who have lost multiple adjacent teeth or all teeth in one or both arches. Traditionally, dentures have been designed to fit onto a patient’s jaw by adhesives or suction and to be removed at night and reinserted into your mouth during the day. With the introduction of modern dental implants, though, came a wholly new option — all the familiar and well-established benefits of dentures without the risk of slipping and ill-fit or the nuisance of regular removal, cleaning, and reinsertion. What is the innovation that permits this best of all possible worlds option? Implant-supported dentures.
What are dental implants? And what do they have to do with dentures?
Implants are replacement teeth roots made of titanium that are placed into your jaw. Frequently, those roots are used to support restorations such as artificial teeth and bridges. Those roots, though, can also serve as anchors and grips for complete sets of dentures. Dentures that might previously have gone in and out of your mouth can be permanently anchored to your jaw rather than sitting directly upon your gums.
Benefits of implant-supported dentures
- You won’t need to take your dentures out. In fact, you won’t be able to take them out.
- Your dentures won’t slip and slide on your gums as you eat, speak, or laugh.
- Implant-supported dentures are anchored securely to your jaw and allow you to eat without restriction
- Your dentures won’t cause sores on your gums due to friction and pressure.
- You won’t suffer degradation of bone tissue as a result of your tooth loss.
- In fact, the titanium teeth roots will stimulate the development of new healthy bone tissue
- In the case of partial dentures in Saskatoon, your remaining natural teeth won’t need to be modified
- You won’t need to develop a new cleaning regimen, but will be able to care for the dentures in your mouth as if they were natural teeth
What is the process of getting dental implants?
A dentist will begin the implant process by performing a complete examination of your teeth, including taking dental images of your teeth and jaw. Your dentist will also carefully review your medical and dental treatment history, particularly if they have not been your dentist leading up to this evaluation stage. Finally, this evaluation stage may include taking impressions of your teeth to help give your dentist a complete understanding of the physical layout of your jaw, and precisely how and where an implant would fit in — literally and figuratively.
The next step in the process can vary slightly depending on what caused the dental issue that you’ve chosen implants to solve. If the underlying issue is a damaged tooth, or if you’ve decided to remove teeth to accommodate your implant and ultimate restoration — such as partial dentures in Saskatoon — any damaged or natural teeth that you no longer require will be extracted.
Once any unnecessary teeth have been extracted and your jaw has healed from the extraction, a dentist in Saskatoon will place the titanium post in your jaw precisely where imaging and impressions directed it should go. Once your jaw has fully healed and the titanium post has bonded to your natural jawbone, an abutment — the unit that connects the post to your partial dentures — will be added to your implant. Finally, and only after the titanium post and abutment have been fully accepted by your jaw and gums as natural elements of your mouth, your dentist will design, produce, and attach your implant-supported full or partial dentures.
If you’re looking for all the benefits of dentures without any of the drawbacks, contact a dentist to confirm that you are a good candidate for implant-supported full or partial dentures in Saskatoon.