What Long-term Denture Wearers Should Know About Dental Implants

Denture wearers often notice something’s missing. If you’ve worn them for years, this is especially true.

Loose fit is the most noticeable symptom. And the cause can lead you to wonder if there’s a satisfactory solution.

What’s happening?

The shifting and poor fit of your denture is the result of your jawbone wearing away. The clinical term for this condition is resorption.

Bottom-line, your teeth’s roots are no longer capable of adding structure and stability to your bone. But there’s something more significant to reckon with if you’re experiencing this.

Your bone deterioration (resorption) can pose a structural problem if you choose dental implant treatment. There’s a solution and it has to do with the superior results of implants for missing tooth replacement.

Dental implants actually form a new tooth root. This is a key difference in an implant and dentures that fit on top of available gum and bone tissue.A dental implant fuses to the jawbone over time (known as ossiointegration). This creates a more stable and long-term effective structure for your new tooth.

The linchpin

The process of your implant adapting to your jawbone hinges on a primary requirement. You must have a sufficient amount of bone to sustain it.

Your dental implant requires a foundation to anchor your new tooth root. Available bone beneath the surface is necessary for this to occur.

There are fixes for lack of bone structure. This helps assure you, if you’re a denture wearer, that you can experience the benefits of dental implants.

Bone grafts are a common procedure to supplement your bone tissue. Bone is obtained from elsewhere in your body (chin or hip) or from outside donor sources (cadaver).

The new bone tissue will integrate and strengthen your remaining tissue. When the healing process is complete your dental implant can be placed.

Dentures are a common treatment for missing teeth. It’s important to understand that long-term wear can reduce your bone structure and cause complications.

Dental implants are superior for a variety of reasons. Primarily, they preserve your bone structure and actually add stability to it.
Ask us about dental implant treatment as a denture wearer. Schedule a consultation to assess your available bone structure and discuss the numerous benefits of implants.