Dentures

An immediate denture may be the best solution when complete extractions of the remaining teeth are unavoidable. It allows patients to avoid the embarrassment of living without teeth. After the extraction sites have completely healed, we will construct a complete denture for long-term use.

Although many patients have no problem wearing an upper denture, some people find it difficult to wear and eat with lower dentures. Several implant-supported replacement options are available when all the lower teeth are missing. These include:

• Ball Attachment Denture — two dental implants placed in the lower jaw and a denture made that snaps onto these implants.
• Bar Attachment Denture — this option involves placing four to six dental implants, depending on jaw size or shape, into the lower jaw and connecting them with a custom-made support bar. The denture clips to the support bar and is called an overdenture.
• Screw-Retained Denture — this option involves placing five or more implants in the jaw to attach a permanent denture. The denture is held in place by screws or clasps that secure it to the support posts or bar. It doesn’t touch the gum tissue, which allows the patient to clean under the denture without removing it.
• Individual Implants — the final option is to have each tooth individually replaced so that they will appear to be growing out of the gum tissue and most closely resemble the appearance of natural teeth. This option usually requires eight or more implants.

Replacement options may also be limited by the current size and shape of the jawbone.

A similar range of treatment options is also available for your upper jaw. However, because the bone is not as hard as that in the lower jaw, people often need more dental implants in the upper jaw to support their new replacement teeth. These include:

• Implant-Retained Upper Denture
• Individual Upper Implants
• Bar Attachment Denture

A removable partial denture is designed specifically to meet the needs of the patient and may replace one or more missing teeth aesthetically. A natural appearance and speech clarity are restored, along with the ability to eat more efficiently; however, bone loss will continue without implant treatment.

Partial dentures are created out of a metal and acrylic composition or completely out of acrylic. The patient’s specific needs and anatomy dictate the design of the partial denture and preserve the remaining teeth and oral tissues, but bone loss is inevitable.

Metal partials are generally preferred as they are structurally superior. They are thinner and stronger than a completely acrylic partial. Acrylic partials are typically used as transitional or temporary partial.