If you’ve had dentures for a while, you may be familiar with their limitations: difficulty eating certain foods, replacement teeth that slip or feel loose, and gooey adhesive to keep them in place. If you need to replace missing teeth, you may be worried about the same things. Dental implant dentures might be a great option for you!
The best way to find out if implant dentures are right for you is a consultation with Dr. Rick Jude in Olympia, WA. Call 360-229-5861 today to schedule one. In the meantime, we’ve provided some helpful information for you here.
First, Some Basic Info About Implants
A dental implant is a small rod, usually made of medical-grade titanium. Dr. Jude places it in your jaw. Once there, your bone fuses to it. That means it will stay securely in place! It offers an extremely stable foundation for single replacement teeth (crowns), dental bridges, or dentures.
Most implants have three parts:
- The actual implant
- An abutment, a small piece of hardware that is attached to your implant and connects it to your restoration
- Your dental restoration
Dental Implant Dentures Have Many Benefits
Implant dentures offer many benefits you can’t get from conventional dentures. Among them:
- Versatile Options – You can replace teeth in the upper jaw, lower jaw, or both jaw with dental implant dentures. You can also choose dentures that you can easily remove for cleaning or dentures that stay fixed to implants and are removed only by a dentist.
- Bone Strength – Since implants stimulate your jaw in a way similar to actual tooth roots, the bone in your jaw will remain intact. You’ll be less likely to develop the sunken appearance that results from wearing conventional dentures.
- Enhanced Eating Ability – You’ll enjoy greater bite strength, so you can eat all of your favorite foods.
Choose From Two Kinds of Implant Dentures
Three kinds of dental implant dentures are available:
- Implant-supported Denture – Your fixed dentures are attached to a sturdy metal bar on top of your implants. You’ll clean them with simple brushing and flossing. If you need a more thorough cleaning, Dr. Jude can remove the dentures and take care of it for you.
- Implant-stabilized Denture – A system of balls and snaps keeps your removable dentures in place. You can take your dentures out for daily cleaning.
- All-on-4 Implants – Dr. Jude can use as few as four implants to permanently affix a complete arch of replacement teeth in your upper jaw, lower jaw, or both jaws. Depending on the condition of your jaw, he many use five or six implants instead.
Can You Get Dental Implant Dentures?
Have we piqued your interest in implant dentures? Great! You can likely receive them if your oral health, and overall health, are generally good.
That said, there are a few possible complicating factors. However, most of them can be corrected with our help:
- Smoking – The healing process is slowed by smoking, and it can also affect the long-term health of the gum and bone around your implant. So if need another reason to stop smoking, this is it!
- Lack of Bone Density – Your jaw must be strong enough to support implants. If you don’t, you can likely have a bone graft to beef up your bone density.
- Oral Health Issues – We’ll need to make sure your mouth is free of issues such as gum disease or cavities before you can receive implants.
- Medical Conditions – Certain conditions may make it difficult, though not necessarily impossible, to get implants. We’ll review your medical history and ask about cancer, problems with the immune system, blood clotting disorders, uncontrolled diabetes, and drug abuse.
Call us today at 360-229-5861 to request a consultation with Dr. Jude in Olympia. He’ll determine whether you’re a candidate for dental implant dentures.
