In life, you generally get two sets of teeth. First are your baby teeth, which typically come in around 6 to 10 months. Then, usually around age 6, these teeth begin to loosen and fall out. Your adult teeth (which were hiding under your gum line) sprout upward to take the place of your baby teeth. These “adult” teeth are permanent, meant to last you a lifetime. However, not everyone gets to keep their permanent teeth. In some cases, you may lose adult teeth to dental trauma, decay, or even unlucky genetics. If you’ve lost an entire set of adult teeth, you’ll find everyday function much more difficult now. Instead of struggling with loose dentures and sore gums, we recommend getting a third set of permanent teeth with dentures anchored to your jaw by dental implants!
At the Mini Dental Implant Center of America (MDICA) in Springfield, MO, we use dental implants to permanently restore your bite.
The Consequences of an Unstable Bite
The most common solution after complete tooth loss is a traditional denture. This prosthetic is likely the one you imagine when thinking of a denture, soaking overnight on your grandma’s nightstand. Traditional dentures have a bulky gum base that is fitted to your jaw. But over time, they will lose their perfect fit, resulting in ill-fitting dentures that compromise your ability to function.
An unstable bite may result in:
Difficulty eating: To chew food, you need to be able to break it down into smaller pieces. But with an unstable or weak bite, you won’t be able to chew many foods. Eventually, you may need to stick to a softer diet, potentially losing out on important nutrients.- Denture sores: As your loose dentures shift around in your mouth, they will irritate your gum tissues. You may then develop denture sores that make wearing your prosthetic painful.
- Social isolation: When patients need to constantly readjust their dentures in public, they may feel embarrassed or even ashamed. While wearing dentures is nothing to be ashamed of, it’s not uncommon for loose prosthetics to increase a patient’s social isolation.
To fix loose dentures, a denture reline helps refit the prosthetic to your jaw. But the fix is only temporary, and the time and costs will quickly add up. To permanently stabilize your dentures, we recommend dental implants to secure your smile!
Making Your Dentures Permanent With Dental Implants
The MDICA of Springfield, MO, uses mini dental implants and mono dental implants.
Mini dental implants are small titanium posts that we secure in your jawbone, just like a traditional implant. However, unlike a traditional implant, mini implants are much smaller and have a one-piece design. Thanks to their size, we place mini implants in a single appointment using a minimally invasive procedure. This process allows your gums and bone to heal faster, reducing your recovery time after mini implant placement.
Additionally, we use mono dental implants. These titanium screws are similar in size to conventional implants but retain a one-piece design. The advantage of these implants is that, when you need to restore a smile with large implants, we can still achieve the same goal in a single appointment!
For removable implant dentures, we typically use mini dental implants. These titanium posts secure your denture in place, while still allowing you to remove it at your own convenience. For permanent, non-removable implant dentures, we usually use mono dental implants. Because these implants are larger, they offer better support for a denture that replicates the strength of your natural teeth.
Permanent Implant Dentures in Springfield, MO
At our office, we offer two permanent implant dentures that you never remove.
These prosthetics, called roundhouse bridges, are technically different from dentures. While they still replace an entire set of missing teeth, they look more like a bridge than a traditional denture prosthesis.
A roundhouse bridge is a row of artificial teeth bonded together to form an arch. The arch follows the natural curve of your jaw and secures directly to your implants with little to no base necessary.
A semi-removable roundhouse bridge is mostly permanent, but can be taken out by us during routine dental visits. Otherwise, it stays put on 6 to 10 dental implants, allowing you to smile and chew without fear.
Then, for the most stable option we offer, we recommend a non-removable roundhouse bridge. This denture is even sleeker than a semi-removable roundhouse bridge, as it doesn’t require a gum base. Instead, it mimics the exact look and function of your permanent teeth. A non-removable roundhouse bridge is cemented in place on 10 to 12 dental implants. These titanium screws help keep your prosthetic secure and feeling like a permanent solution to tooth loss!
Keep Your Smile Stable Permanently With Dental Implants
When you lose your adult teeth, you need to replace them. But traditional dentures often don’t stay secure in your mouth and don’t replicate the strength of your natural teeth. At our office, we use both mini and mono dental implants to restore your smile. These titanium screws are one-piece and embed in your jaw, providing a faster, more stable solution for tooth loss. Our permanent dentures include both the semi-removable and non-removable roundhouse bridges. Which is right for you depends on your circumstances and your preference. Book a free implant consultation to learn which implant we’ll use to anchor your new, permanent denture.
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