Dallas Center for Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Implant Supported Dentures
Here at Dallas Center for Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, we place implant supported dentures on people who have lost most of their teeth. Unlike ordinary dentures that are made to adhere to the gums, implants are planted into the jawbone. The main essence of getting implant supported dentures is preventing jawbone loss. Often when one stays for long without teeth, their jawbone starts to shrink. Ordinary dentures would not stop jawbone loss.
Implant supported dentures feature two to five dental implants on a jaw, depending on how large the dentures to be supported are. Ordinary dentures on the lower jaw are quite unstable, hence the need for dental implants. You’ll undergo the ordinary procedure one undergoes while getting dental implants; then the denture will be modeled for you.
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Implant supported dentures can either be bar-retained or ball-retained. These two types differ on the method of attachment used for the implants and the dentures. The dentures used in this case are quite similar to ordinary dentures. They have an acrylic base that attaches itself to the gums and are made of either porcelain or ceramic.
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These dentures, as the name suggests, feature a metallic bar on which the dentures are attached. After the implants have been placed, a metal bar that follows the natural contour of your jaw is attached to them. The denture will then be fixed on the bar using clips. It perfectly fits over the bar, and the clips help to hold it in place. As mentioned above, the acrylic base attaches itself to the gums. It helps reinforce the stability of the denture.
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Ball-retained dentures feature an attachment mechanism that consists of a ball/stud and a socket. The dental implants are completed with a stud on top, and the dentures have a socket underneath. The stud goes into the socket, and hence the denture is locked in place. It could be the other way round, as well. The denture could hold the studs, and the implants have some sockets. Implant supported dentures are removable just like ordinary dentures. You need to remove them every day, wash them, and clean your mouth. You should not sleep with the dentures as well.
The dental implants are normally placed towards the front of the jaw because there tends to be more jawbone mass there. The larger mass makes for a great anchor for the dental implants. Also, the front jawbone does not have many nerves as compared to the back. That makes the placement procedure easier. All these aspects make it a great option for elderly people, who may have lost a significant volume of their back jawbones. They can still get a perfect set of implant supported dentures without having to undergo a bone grafting procedure. -
The process of receiving these implant-supported dentures does take a bit of time. It spans over months of dental appointments, surgical procedures, and healing. You want to ensure that your dentures last a lifetime. The fact that they can be removed does not mean that they can be neglected in being cleaned. Daily cleaning in the morning and night is important. Using cleaning products that our professionals recommend, you should clean all the components of your dentures.
Call Dallas Center for Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery at 972-733-0414 today to learn more about implant supported dentures. We have a team of experts who work together to ensure our patients leave our clinics with a broad smile and a load of confidence. We find joy in being able to help people smile again.
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