
Advancement in dental sciences has made it possible for implant supported dentures to become extremely affordable. Implants have become a substitute for weak roots of our teeth. Adequate bone in the jaw is necessary for these titanium posts to be inserted but once they have been fit, they resemble our natural teeth in such a striking manner that we cannot tell what’s real and what’s fake. Implant supported dentures have made it possible for a million lives to have their smiles and confidence back.
Be it due to age or bacterial decay, natural teeth is vulnerable to damage and tooth loss is usually accompanied by weakening of the jaw bone. This would in return bring those ageing wrinkles on your face, deprived of the support from the jaw bone. Dentures hence help to keep ageing signs at bay.
Types of Dentures:
But then there are two types of dentures – one that directly rests on the gums and the other that is supported by implants. Let us try to understand the difference between these two dentures:
However patients also sometimes like to have a permanent solution like a crown which cannot be removed. A dentist would be able to decide on what kind of implant fits you the best.
Implant-supported dentures:
Implant-supported dentures are usually recommended when a person has lost all teeth in the jaw. Also adequate bone in the jaw is a must for the implant to be fixed. Dentures without implants in the lower jaw are highly susceptible to slippage. Hence lower jaws are usually treated with implant supported dentures.
Proper cleaning of the implant supported denture is also very essential and would determine the oral health of the patient. They should not be used overnight and before sleeping, they need to be removed. Implant supported dentures are of two types:
Both of them have an acrylic base which resembles the gums and the porcelain artificial teeth is fitted into this base. A minimum of two implants is required for support.
The process of putting these implants is pretty simple. The front of the jaw has more bone and hence the implants are placed in front of the mouth. Also the absence of nerves in that area allows us to opt for this site. The whole process would take up to a time period of 5-7 months depending on various factors. If bone grafting is also required, then it would require more time. This process also accompanies surgeries and hence the time frame of a complete procedure would be a year’s time.