WHAT ARE IMPLANT-SUPPORTED DENTURES VS REGULAR DENTURES? – Kanata Implant Retained Dentures Carleton Place

WHAT ARE IMPLANT-SUPPORTED DENTURES AND HOW DO THEY DIFFER FROM REGULAR DENTURES?

Keywords: denture, missing teeth, best option for missing teeth, loose dentures, best replacement for missing tooth, dental implant, implant crown, implant bridge, implant denture, implant tooth, implant-supported dentures, implant-retained dentures

 

Patients frequently find conventional dentures uncomfortable and unsatisfactory, because of the fact that these dentures provide no significant attachment to the gums. They rely on suction to stay in place, however, while talking and eating, suction is not always enough to prevent the appliance from moving around in your mouth. For many patients following tooth loss, the gums shrink which leads to diminishing suction to aid in denture stability (read more about Implant-Supported Dentures or Implant-Retained Dentures).

Using dental implants to retain or support ill-fitting dentures is becoming increasingly popular. If you are considering implant dentures to replace your lost teeth, you need to understand that there are several ways to approach the placement of dentures on dental implants. There are significant differences between implant-supported dentures (or implant-retained dentures) and conventional dentures.

 

 

 

What are Implant-Supported Dentures?

Kanata implant-supported dentures Carleton Place

 

A regular denture rests on the gums and is not supported by implants. Implant-supported or implant retained dentures are dentures that use dental implants to support the force of your bite. These are used when a person doesn’t have any teeth in the jaw but has enough bone in the jaw to support implants. Implants are placed in the jaw bone. Connectors are then installed on the heads of the implants, upon which the denture clicks into! The implants fully support the force into the jaw bone to give you the most natural and effective bite possible.

The lower jaw usually requires a minimum of 2 implants and the upper jaw typically a minimum of 4 implants. Implant-supported dentures usually click into place and can be removed by the patient for cleaning. It is also an option to have a titanium bar attached to the implants which the denture will click onto, or have the implants connected to an acrylic bridge wrapped around a titanium bar. This would be fixed and only removable by a dentist.

Implant-supported dentures require more of an initial investment, as they require dental implants and are made out of higher quality materials. But given the final product, they are well worth it!

 

Advantages of Implant-Retained Dentures?

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With implant-retained dentures, the gums absorb very little of the force of the bite, compared to conventional dentures. Regular dentures may be more cost-effective but the difference in the final product is night and day. Dental implants can frequently be situated to maximize the use of available bone in areas where it is naturally thicker and stronger, diminishing or eliminating the need for bone grafts. While these dentures help to restore a patient’s ability to talk confidently and to eat comfortably, they still need to be removed at night and for cleaning.

You can expect to eat most things with implant-retained dentures, whereas with conventional dentures, biting directly into an apple is unrealistic if not a major challenge! If you apply very hard pressure on the front teeth of a regular denture, the denture can get dislodged quite easily at times. You should expect to get movement and shifting with regular dentures as you are chewing, but in contrast, implant-retained dentures are extremely secure and stable, providing little to no movement.

 

Regain Your Confidence with Our Implant Solutions

We are seeing a lot of new patients coming into our clinic who hate their dentures. They complain that they cannot eat with them, that they are uncomfortable, that they gag when they wear them, and that ultimately, they are not confident with them. Our experienced technical team is available to assist you, should you wish to discuss an implant case in more detail.