Implant retained dentures
Dentures can become loose for many reasons, loss of bone and gum, shrinking of the jawbones, and strong tongue and cheek muscles. Rocking or loose dentures can irritate the gums, lead to loss of chewing function, and embarrassment at the potential for loosing a denture mid sentence!
Stabilising dentures
Full dentures are notorious for becoming loose over time. This can lead to loss of function, ulceration and pain, not to mention embarrassment at teeth falling out.
Dental Implants can be utilised to help retain and support dentures to improve function and reduce the risk of embarrassing moments of dentures falling out.
For most, a full mouth rehabilitation of fixed teeth on many implants is too costly and invasive to consider. A truly acceptable compromise is to use implants to hold the dentures in place. Many studies have shown patient acceptance to be higher than more expensive treatments involving more implants.
In the lower jaw, as little as a single implant can improve the dentures retention!
We aim to place two implants in the lower jaw to assist the dentures retention, whilst still making it removable for cleaning.
We are able to retrofit existing dentures onto the implants, if they are well fitting and aesthetically pleasing, but we are equally happy to make brand new ones in order to improve functions and a more natural smile.
What if I still have some teeth but I want full dentures on implants?
If you still have some troublesome teeth and wish to have full dentures on the upper and or lower jaw then we recommend a protocol such as:
Impressions (Moulds) for a new full denture set
Extraction of the remaining teeth and issue of full dentures
Implant surgery 8 weeks later
Retrofitting of the new dentures onto the implants after the implants have healed.
If I hate my current set of dentures what is the process?
New dentures can be made before the insertion of dental implants. In some instances, a new set of dentures may be functional and retentive enough to satisfy all the patient’s needs! We are happy to find a suitable and cost effective way to solve every dental problem, even if it means we talk our patients out of more expensive treatments.
Once a new set of dentures has been made, we can place the dental implants at any stage. The implants need a minimum of 8 weeks healing before we connect them to the dentures.
How do they fit onto the implants?
Implants have a special “male” part that connects to a reciprocal “female” part embedded in the gum fitting side of the denture. The connections have a rubber insert that controls how strongly the plate is retained. These rubber rings need to be periodically replaced, but are very inexpensive compared to other dental treatments.
