Love your dentures! A guide to dental implants to stabilize ill-fitting prosthetics
Dental implants are a great option to stabilize loose dentures. With added stability, implant-supported dentures can function more like natural teeth!
Unlike ill-fitting “conventional” dentures that can become loose when used, implants keep your prosthetic teeth in place at all times. Simply, the dentures snap onto the implants via specialized attachments that are fabricated with the prosthetic tooth and gum tissue.
Since the implants function as natural tooth roots and are literally “rooted” in the jawbone, there is a stable connection to the denture. In turn, our patients at Simarro Brothers Dental Care in Antioch, California, are very happy with the lasting comfort and function they get from implant dentures that are designed more like natural tooth structure – from the “roots upwards”.
How we fight ill-fitting dentures with implants
The process of “retrofitting” existing dentures or of placing new implant-retained dentures generally involves the following steps:
- Drs Nathan or Ryan Simarro will confirm that you are a good candidate for implant dentures.
- To confirm your suitability for implants, Drs Simarro use cutting-edge diagnostics, such as a 3-D scanner.
- If you have sufficient bone in the jaw, we are good to proceed.
- If you have sustained bone loss, we will discuss options such as bone grafting to build a strong foundation for the implants and, accordingly, for the denture attached to them.
- All patients who undergo 3-D scanning will also have a one-on-one consultation with one of our dentists. We ensure that you are aware of every step in your customized treatment plan. So, there are no surprises!
- With an approved treatment plan in place, we can now position the implants precisely in the jawbone. This straightforward process takes less than one hour and can be completed painlessly with a local anesthetic.
- After the implants are placed, we wait for them to heal. Implants are made from biocompatible materials designed to naturally and safely “fuse” to the surrounding bone. Once the bone has grown into the implants, usually in around four to six months, we can then restore the implants by connecting them to the denture.
This process would not be complete without providing details on how to care for your new dentures. Generally, implant dentures are a low-maintenance alternative to conventional removable dentures. Since they are connected to artificial tooth roots that are securely embedded in the jaw, these implant teeth help to keep the supportive bone healthy and strong. This characteristic allows our patients to avoid the ongoing repairs, adjustments, and total replacement of traditional dentures.
Those dentures do not stimulate the jawbone. As with your muscles during periods of inactivity, if you don’t “use” your jawbone, you “lose” it. And, as that bone in the jaw is lost, it can alter the fit of your denture and lead to the need for services like relining or rebasing. You avoid all of that hassle with implant-supported dentures.
Call Simarro Brothers Dental Care at (925) 723-9090 to schedule your dentures consultation in Antioch, CA, today!