If you’re faced with having to lose all of your teeth, then you might be tempted to just go ahead and get a set of traditional dentures from our Mesa, Arizona dentist. Though this may be a quick and easy solution, these appliances aren’t always the best choice for some people.
Why Shouldn’t You Get Dentures?
Yes, dentures have their place. However, they can also be difficult to wear in some circumstances. Here are some reasons why:
- Since they are bulky appliances, dentures tend to trigger your gag reflex.
- Dentures can be loose and cause friction sores in your mouth.
- The thick acrylic material covers a lot of your taste buds.
- Tougher, firmer foods, such as meat, can be difficult to chew and break down for digestion.
- Dentures often need to be removed after you eat to clean food debris out from underneath them.
- You can’t sleep with dentures in place. Your gums need to breathe, so you’ll have to take them out and clean them well before you go to bed at night.
- Not having teeth causes your cheeks to sink in, which makes facial wrinkles and sagging skin more prominent. These side-effects cause you to look older than you are.
Consider Implants Instead of Dentures
Dental implants are a great alternative to dentures. An implant is an artificial tooth root that is made from medical-grade titanium. The implant is surgically placed in your jaw bone where it fuses permanently over a course of a few months
How To Incorporate Implants Into A Full Arch Prosthesis
There are a few different ways that you can use implants to replace a full arch of missing teeth. Here are a few options to consider:
Individual Implants
Rarely do we recommend placing an implant at every individual missing tooth location. But it’s possible. Then we would place individual crowns over each implant, giving you a magnificent new smile that will not only be aesthetically pleasing but will feel and function just like your natural teeth. But usually, we only suggest individual implants at specific points, where there are single missing teeth that still have healthy ones on either side.
Bridge Implants
An efficient alternative to individual implants is to use pairs of implants and connect them with bridges, which are crowns that are joined side-by-side to fill in larger areas. They suspend artificial crowns over the open space, replacing all of the teeth at one time. We may recommend implant bridges if you have 3-4 missing teeth, instead of wearing a partial denture.
If you choose this option you’ll want to be dedicated to flossing underneath the bridges, which will be the key to keeping your implants and gum tissue healthy.
Snap-on Overdentures
A snap-on denture is a great solution if your bone ridge lacks the depth needed to hold a removable traditional denture in place.
To make a snap-on denture we would place a minimum of two implants in that arch. We would then create a denture that looks very similar to a traditional plate. However, it will be more streamlined in shape to help prevent gagging or irritation.
Your snap-on denture will have rubber washers that correspond with the implants in your mouth. We’ll attach a little post to each implant that will stick out of the gum just a bit. Your denture will snap into place over these attachments, resulting in a more secure fit than a traditional denture. No adhesives or messy pastes are necessary!
Although they’re technically a type of implant-supported denture, snap-on overdentures still need to be removed and cleaned before going to bed at night.
All-on-Four Denture
For All-on-Four Denture treatment, we will place a minimum of four implants in the bone and have a bridge of teeth created to cover the entire arch. The bridge has openings in it which correspond with the implants. We then connect the hybrid bridge-denture by placing an attachment through each opening into the inside of the implant. Then we fill the openings so that the surface is smooth inside of your mouth.
All-on-Four dentures are considered permanent, meaning that you don’t need to take them out. However, when necessary, our dentist can remove the appliance for you.
These streamlined implant dentures are more comfortable and secure than other denture options available.
Dental Implants in Mesa, Arizona
If you’re interested in replacing your teeth with implants and want to discuss your options with a knowledgeable provider, then call Eastport Dental to schedule an appointment with Dr. Vinh Huynh, DMD.
