What To Expect From The Implant Denture Procedure

An alternative to traditional dentures may help eliminate some of the pitfalls with maintaining them. An implant denture helps support the mouth and jaw without the temporary feeling that traditional dentures generally provide. An implant denture helps prospective patients the stability that they may desire when using a denture on a regular basis. Whether they are eating, drinking, or talking, the utilization of an implant denture changes the way that a prospective patient may live their life. They may no longer have to worry about their dentures coming loose or potentially losing their mouthpiece if something unexpected occurs. Before considering if an implant denture may work, prospective patients should research what implant denture can do for them.

What is an implant denture?

The implant denture is an increasingly common solution to regular denture since the procedure is more widely available in recent times. An implant-supported denture is designed for use when a prospective patient does not have any teeth in their jaw. It is usually installed when the patient does have enough bone within the jaw to support implants. When installed into the jaw of the patient, the implant denture has a special type of attachment that is secured onto the implant.

Today, the implant denture is installed within the lower and the upper jaw. The semi-permanent implant is commonly made and installed into the lower jaw since traditional dentures have less stability in that area. Prospective patients have the choice to choose an implant denture for the lower jaw, the upper jaw, or even request installation for both.

What to expect from implant dentures

The implant denture provides several benefits over traditional dentures. For example, they are considered much more stable than regular dentures. Users of implant dentures have an easier time speaking and eating. They also do not have to worry about their dentures loosening and possibly falling out of their mouth.

Implant dentures also have the benefit of not covering a significant portion of the mouth. For example, they typically do not cover the roof of the mouth like traditional full dentures do, since the implant denture is installed within the jaw. This helps people with implant dentures have an easier time talking, eating, or just moving their mouth on a day to day basis. An implant denture simply has the potential to significantly improve life for people who typically need dentures.

Types of implant dentures

There are two types of implant dentures that prospective patients can choose. They are known as ball retained dentures and bar retained dentures.

Bar-retained implant dentures are a type of denture made from a thin metal bar that is molded along the natural curve of the jaw of the patient. At least two to five implants are attached to this type of implant denture, typically fitted with clips or another type of attachment that help the implant strongly adhere in place. The implant is secured in place using the clips or installed attachments by fitting it over the bar and securing it there.

Ball-retained implant dentures have a slightly more intricate design than bar retained implant dentures. The implant in each jawbone gets a metal attachment installed that is designed to hold another attachment where the denture sits. The implants typically attach to the bar with ball-shaped sockets; the male attachment of each implant denture fits into the female attachment on the bar. Some implant dentures have female attachments that get installed into the male attachments for this type of semi-permanent denture installment.

Both types of implant denture have a similar structure, generally made from an acrylic base that is designed to look like the gums with acrylic or porcelain teeth attached to the base. In addition, both types of dentures need to have at least two implants installed for stable support within the jaw.

The implant denture process

The process to install various types of implant denture is relatively simple. To start, the implants generally get placed within the jawbone, usually at the front of the mouth. This is because more bone usually resides within the front of the jawbone than at the back, even when the front of the jaw may have several or all teeth missing. The front part of the jaw also does not have as many nerves as the other structures within the jaw or the entire mouth area, which may obstruct the installation and placement of the implant denture.

In most cases, prospective patients will need two surgeries to complete the implant denture procedure.

During the first step of the procedure, the implants are installed into the jawbone that resides beneath the gums. After the installation of each implant along the jawbone, the patient has to wait a few months for the bone and implant to fuse together. The second step in the implant denture procedure can take place anywhere from three to six months following the first procedure.

The second part of the procedure involves exposing the top part of each implant after the implant fuses to the jawbone. This process of the implant denture installation process involves

the dentist making incisions along with the gum where the implant resides underneath and expose the tops of each implant. After each top is exposed, they are covered with a sealing collar or cap to help the area successfully heal. The healing collar usually sits along each implant top for up to two weeks. The dentist will replace the healing collar with dental abutments and eventually begin working on the final, semi-permanent denture implants.

The amount of time it takes to complete the implant denture procedure varies based on several factors. The type of surgery performed is one factor. Sometimes, the dentist will perform the entire procedure in one surgery, but this depends on the professional offering the procedure. In other cases, the entire process may take up to a year if the patient chooses two or multiple surgeries to complete the implant denture procedure. Both two step and one step implant denture procedures have high success rates, according to those who received them.

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