Procedures - Dentures

When most or all your natural teeth have been lost, dentures provide many benefits:

A Complete Denture is placed in the patient's mouth after all the teeth have been extracted and the gum tissue has healed. Healing takes anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, depending upon the patient.

An Overdenture usually requires that at least 2 roots be kept. These roots may be used to hold the denture in place by placing inserts in the roots and in the denture. The denture then attaches to the roots. These roots also give support to the denture and help retain the ridge the denture sits on.

An Immediate Denture is placed the same day the teeth are extracted. The advantage to an Immediate Denture is that the patient does not have to be without teeth during the healing period.

A Partial Denture or "removable bridge" replaces one or more missing teeth, but there must be teeth remaining for the partial to attach to. Unlike a Fixed Bridge, a partial is removable. A partial will prevent other teeth from shifting, preserving your remaining teeth.

Dr. Kozelko will evaluate your condition and needs to help you determine the option that is best for you.

From the Mayo Clinic Health Letter for June 2004:

You've decided it's time to get a lower denture, but you've heard it can be difficult to keep one from moving around while talking and eating. Is there a way to keep a denture in place?

You may want to consider an implant-supported denture. The implants can stabilize a lower denture, allowing you to function much as you did with your original teeth.

DIFFICULT DENTURES

Natural teeth are supported by a special type of bone (alveolar bone) in the upper and lower jaws. When teeth are lost, the alveolar bone begins to shrink. This shrinkage may be accelerated by again. Wearing conventional dentures, which compresses tissue, also contributes to bone shrinkage. As a result, dentures may become loose.

A lower denture may be especially difficult to keep in place because it has less stable tissue to rest on than does an upper denture. Successful use of a lower denture may depend on your ability to control it with your tongue and cheek muscles. some people may not be able to develop enough muscle coordination to continually keep a lower denture in place.

Even with adhesive, a conventional denture may become loose and shift around. Many who have dentures find it difficult to eat, laugh and converse normally. Fears that a denture might slip while you're in public may cause you to lose self-confidence and withdraw from social activity.

A SOLUTION

Dental implants are metal posts - usually titanium - that are surgically placed in your jawbone. The posts provide stable anchors or simulated roots for artificial replacement teeth. Implants may also be used to anchor a denture and prevent it from moving around.

The surgical procedure to place implants is usually performed in an outpatient setting under local anesthesia. The number of implants used may vary. As few as two implants in the lower jaw may retain a removable lower denture adequately. In this procedure, the implants are placed in the front of the jaw - about where the canine teeth would be. If you want teeth that are permanently fixed in place, you'll need more implants. In this situation, up to four or five implants may be used to hold the permanent denture. More implants generally mean greater comfort and stability, but at a higher expense.

It usually takes three to six months for implants to heal and become anchored to the lower jawbone. Attachments are then inserted on the tops of the implants, and the denture grips these attachments. This stabilizes the denture and provides comfort and security. Because the implants - rather than the gums - supports the denture, the alveolar bone shrinks less quickly.

Although conventional lower dentures are more commonly a problem, upper denture problems sometimes can be particularly bothersome. If implants are used to secure an upper denture, four to eight implants are typically used.

Because implant-supported dentures are more stable than are conventional dentures, they function more like your original teeth. This means greater ability to talk and chew and less discomfort. The success rate for implants in the lower is jaw is 95% or greater.

© Copyright 2002- Dental WebSmith, Inc. and Stephen E. Kozelko, D.D.S., P.C. All rights reserved. Disclaimer: The information provided within is intended to help you better understand dental conditions and procedures. It is not meant to serve as delivery of medical or dental care. If you have specific questions or concerns, contact your health care provider.