At EMA Dental, we believe dental implants are far and away the best solution to replace missing or extensively damaged teeth. But in cases where the patient has lost the majority of his or her teeth, dentures are still a more affordable, easier path to take.
However, if we combine the two, we can get the rock solid anchoring of implants with the large number tooth replacement of dentures. We call them implant-retained dentures.
Dentures
When all the teeth in the patient’s mouth need replacing, dentures can return full functionality. They allow normal speaking and eating and, of course, present a perfect smile to the public.
Dentures are made from acrylic and porcelain and include upper and lower sets. And, while fitting dentures with the use of modern panoramic cameras is much more precise than it used to be, due to the nature of the gums dentures still can slip and move. What they need are anchor points.
Adding implants for stability
That’s where implants come in. Implants, by their very nature, provide the stability needed to keep dentures in place. Implants are basically titanium screws that are placed into the hole formerly occupied by the tooth root. The body then builds new bone and totally integrates the new implant. Once this process is complete, a post is attached to the implant and, in normal circumstances, an artificial tooth atop that post.
But with implant-retained dentures at EMA Dental, we simply attach the full dentures to the implants, rather than placing a crown on top of them. The number of implants we will use depends on how much jawbone mass has been lost while your teeth have been missing. When teeth are missing for longer periods of time, the jawbone beneath them begins to deteriorate because it doesn’t get the stimulation from the tooth above. Usually, we recommend four implants on top and bottom for ultimate stability.
If you’re missing most of your teeth, or have badly damaged teeth, call our Longmeadow or Northhampton offices and let’s talk about implant-retained dentures.