Denture Stabilization

Denture Stabilization

Millions of adults in the United States are missing at least one, if not several, of their natural teeth. While dental implants are among the most popular types of dental restoration, for patients who need to replace multiple teeth, dental implants can become very expensive; full-mouth dental implant restoration may be cost-prohibitive for many people. This can lead to people who cannot fit dental implants into their budgets instead choosing removable dentures to replace their missing teeth; while these dentures are affordable, they come with their own set of problems. People who wear removable dentures often complain about the dentures slipping and rubbing the soft tissue in their mouth, which can interfere with eating, smiling, and speaking and can cause uncomfortable sores and irritation on the gums. Even when removable dentures are securely affixed with dental adhesive, the adhesive can interfere with the person’s ability to taste food and often smells or tastes offensive to the user. Thankfully, there is a better way to secure dentures into the mouth, providing security without excessive cost: denture stabilization. In many cases, a few strategically placed dental implants can support an entire row of prosthetic teeth, holding a denture securely in place.

Stabilizing dentures with dental implants can restore the wearer’s ability to chew, which in turn improves the patient’s digestion and overall health. Stabilized dentures are more comfortable than traditional dentures and are easier to talk with, and they are also easier to clean and maintain. You’ll simply clean your denture as you would your natural teeth, brushing and flossing daily, and, if your denture is removable, you can snap it out for an overnight soak in disinfecting solution; your implant dentist will review the correct cleaning procedures for your type of dentures with you when you get your dentures. Your dentist may also recommend a specialized type of brush or pick to clean your dentures, and you should expect to see your dentist regularly for professional checkups and cleanings. Dental implants also confer the added benefit of stimulating the growth of healthy bone surrounding the implant, even when only a few implants are placed. This is due to the process of osseointegration that occurs as implants heal and fuse with the bone, and it helps to prevent the deterioration of the facial structure that can accompany tooth loss and lead to an aged appearance and decreased self-esteem; it also helps maintain the health and integrity of the oral cavity.

To stabilize dentures using dental implants, an implant dentist surgically places the implants into the jawbone and, once the implants have healed, then attaches the dentures to the implants, rooting them securely in place. Some of these implant-stabilized dentures are removable, and some are not. Many implant-supported dentures can be held in place with as few as two dental implants. The denture itself is made of an acrylic base, resembling natural gum tissue, that has porcelain or acrylic teeth attached to it, and the two main types of implant-supported dentures are ball-retained dentures and bar-retained dentures. With ball-retained dentures, a small ball-shaped attachment on the tip of each implant snaps into a socket on the denture, holding the denture in place. Bar-retained dentures use clips attached to the denture to hold the denture to a bar that fits the inner contour of the mouth and is stabilized by dental implants. For either type of implant-retained denture, the implants can be placed anywhere in the mouth and should usually be placed where there is the greatest amount of healthy bone; they are usually placed toward the front of the mouth because of the greater amount of viable bone that is typically found there, as well as the area’s lack of nerve endings and other things that might interfere with implant placement. While ball-retained dentures can often be placed on a minimal number of implants, bar-retained dentures require up to five implants to sufficiently support them. Although it is very rare, dental implants can fail if they become infected or if the patient has an allergic reaction to the implant material, and because of their more complex construction, bar-retained dentures can be less durable than ball-retained dentures. Habitual grinding and clenching of the teeth, also known as bruxism, can also increase the risk of damage to the denture or loosening of the implants, so be sure to talk to your dentist if you engage in bruxism.

Most implant procedures require two separate surgeries, though more procedures may be required; for example, when there is insufficient bone tissue to support even a minimal number of implants, bone graft surgery may be performed before the implants can be placed. In the first implant surgery, the gum tissue is folded back and small incisions are made into the bone; the implants are placed, and the gum tissue is reattached, and then the implant site is given time to heal. Healing can take several months, and full healing is an integral part of the success of dental implants, as the implant and bone fuse together during healing and form a stable and secure foundation for the dentures. Once the implants have healed, a second surgery is performed. In this procedure, the implant dentist exposes the tops of the implants and adjusts the gum tissue appropriately to create a natural appearance when the dentures are attached.

Implant-supported dentures provide structural support that helps keep dentures securely in place in the mouth and help maintain the shape of the craniofacial region, and dental implants themselves can help improve oral health. While a few missing teeth may not adversely affect everyone’s self-confidence directly, without dental restorations, the structures of the face start to deteriorate, making people look older than they are, and it becomes increasingly challenging to eat and speak well. With decreased quality of nutrition comes decreased overall health, and missing teeth that are left unaddressed can also lead to dental hygiene issues. For many people for whom traditional dental implants are cost-prohibitive or otherwise not recommended, denture stabilization with just a few strategically placed dental implants can help restore confidence and health to patients who are missing multiple teeth.