Are Implant Retained Dentures Suitable For You?
If you have been looking into a good option to replace your missing teeth or existing denture, read this article on implant retained dentures.
Visits to the dentist go beyond trying to ensure that the teeth and gums are healthy. Our daily lives affect our dental health and for various reasons, we may suffer the loss of teeth.
The extraction of a decaying tooth can leave empty spaces in the mouth affecting the confidence, chewing pattern, and causing some discomfort while eating.
Some people may be missing all of their teeth. This could be due to an oral health condition causing loss of teeth in the upper or lower gums.
Gum pockets are there to house the teeth, but when your teeth fall out or you undergo a tooth extraction, these pockets close up gradually and become flat or smoothened out, since the root is no longer present. This is where dentures come in.
Some dentures can be unreliable because they may be fitted wrongly or loosely causing another type of discomfort as time goes on.
Since the ridge of the gum is now flattened out, regular dentures tend to move a lot because there is no hold. This usually affects the structure of the face and may give the face a sunken appearance. Implant retained dentures have been designed specially to tackle most of the issues affecting dentures.
What you should know about implant retained dentures
Implant retained dentures are also referred to as snap-on dentures or clip-on dentures. Implant retained dentures are dentures that clip onto the dental implants embedded into your gum. The implants act as an anchor for the denture, securing it firmly and stopping it from slipping while talking or chewing.
So if you have missing teeth, snap-on dentures are a great replacement option. Losing your teeth can have psychological, physical, and emotional effects on you. Imagine craving special meals but not being able to have them because your teeth cannot handle it or because you have no teeth at all!
Missing teeth in strategic areas also impairs your speech, being unable to produce certain sounds causing a drop in one’s self-confidence. Implant retained dentures have proven to be one of the best solutions to missing teeth and helping individuals restore their confidence and smile once more.
Implant retained dentures for the lower and upper jaw
The type of snap ons used for the lower jaw is quite distinct from the type used by the upper jaw. Let us highlight a few of them.
- The ball attachment denture
Also known as the locator-attached denture, the ball attachment denture is used to fix the teeth in the lower jaw. In most cases, a minimum of two implants is enough to secure the dentures. Your dentist may decide to add a few more implants with his/her discretion but the dentures are highly unlikely to slip or shift from the fixed position.
- The bar attachment denture
This type uses up to six implants and is used for the lower teeth. The implants are embedded in the gums, firmly securing the dentures in place. Your dentist will customize a support bar especially for you, connects it to the implants, and uses special retention clips to secure the denture to the implants.
This is called an overdenture and there’s little or no movement at all while eating, talking, and throughout the time you have the denture on. It can still be removed when it’s time to be cleaned.
- Screw-retained denture
This is another implant retained denture for the lower jaw and upper jaw. If you need to replace the full set of teeth in your lower jaw, then your dentist will likely recommend this denture as it is among the more permanent options for dentures. It uses nothing less than four implants embedded into the lower jaw.
They are almost like regular teeth because they are held down with a screw and cannot be removed every day for cleaning.
Benefits of implant retained dentures
Snap-on dentures help boost self-confidence. The loss of teeth affects the way the face looks and can make one self conscious. But with implant retained dentures, one can move around freely, smile, and hold conversations freely too.
Eating stops being a chore. Having missing teeth can make one grind on the exposed gum and causing injury. Chewing can also be really uncomfortable, but snap-on dentures fix this problem with the help of the implants positioned to secure the dentures firmly.
Oral hygiene is stepped up with snap-on dentures. It can be taken out and cleaned everyday. It helps give the jaw perfect alignment thereby preserving the bones and gums.
Implant-supported dentures are customized to fit your face so it improves the appearance of your face over time as alignment happens gradually. It also helps improve the quality of your diet as you are no longer limited to certain meals but you can enjoy a variety of healthy dishes.
Who can get implant-retained dentures?
Anyone can get implant-retained dentures although it is common in older people who have lost their teeth. Your dentist will examine your teeth thoroughly and suggest the best option for you.
Conclusion
It is important to follow up with routine checks after getting dental implants. One mistake made by so many patients is feeling that their visits with the dentist has ended just because they have gotten their implants. Implant retained dentures should be seen as teeth and should be taken care of the way you would take care of your regular teeth.
Your dentist will let you know the best implant-supported denture to get and how to take care of the dentures. If your implant retained denture is the removable type, you will need at least two cleanings in a year and a thorough examination by your dentist.
Trust that there is a solution for every oral health issue you have and for those missing teeth, implant-retained dentures are designed to help you get the best out of your daily life!
Kelly Hancock, RDH
Kelly is a registered dental hygienist and oral health care provider. She is passionate about oral hygiene and encourages people to achieve optimal oral health. She has been working in the dental profession for 16 years and worked in many different roles in the dental industry. Kelly is currently a pediatric dental hygienist specializing in children’s dentistry. She is committed to helping others with their oral health care issues and helping others achieve a smile they love.