Dentures, removable in the sense that they can be inserted and taken out of mouths at any time to clean them, is one method which missing teeth can be “replaced”. They can be made:
- To look perfect or made to look realistically imperfect as desired
- To replace a single tooth or a full mouth of teeth
- To be worn TEMPORARY or to be a PERMANENT fix
Full Dentures & Implants for retention of Full Dentures
Prior to the predictable use of implants for holding dentures in place, denture patients often suffered from soft tissue sore spots, inability to chew food well, and embarrassing moments, with full denture patients suffering the most.
By definition, if the denture is replacing ALL of the patient’s teeth, it is a full denture. Full denture patients do not have the luxury of having their appliance rest/sit on other teeth to relieve pressure on the gums. Also full denture patients do not have the luxury of having clasps/metal arms to grab onto remaining teeth so that the denture doesn’t move around when chewing. Movement of the denture while chewing, not only causes painful pinching and sore spots, but also does not allow for adequate chewing forces.
In the past, the only solution to missing teeth was frequently just a denture. However, because bone loss naturally occurs without the teeth in the bone, however tolerable full dentures seems initially when patients start wearing them, over time the dentures can be predicted to be less comfortable to wear and less effective for chewing. In the past, it was common that patients changed their diets to compensate for the inefficiencies and discomforts during eating. Relining the denture regularly helps, but it too will give diminishing returns each time over the years.
It is with modern dentistry implants and mini-implants that there is a way to improve the way a denture works. Implants placed in strategic locations in the mouth (ALL-ON-4 dental implant procedure) allow the modified denture to snap into a fixed location stably, thus allowing patients to chew pain free, eat foods they have given up eating, and allow for a confident person to emerge again.
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