The Centers for Disease Control estimates that the prevalence of complete tooth loss for adults 65 and older is around 13%. If you are one of these 13%, then you understand the struggles of living without teeth very well. Eating, speaking, and even smiling become huge chores that patients like you tend to avoid. Typically, those without teeth opt for full dentures to replace their missing smile. These custom appliances replace your teeth to restore your smile’s appearance and function! However, traditional full dentures tend to loosen over time. Without the ability to function like your natural teeth, dentures become a hassle more than a solution to tooth loss. Fortunately, the Mini Dental Implant Center of America in Springfield, MO, has a much more stable full denture solution.
How Full Dentures Fall Flat
Full dentures, unlike partial prosthetics, are meant to replace a full arch of teeth on your top or bottom jaw.
However, traditional full dentures aren’t built to last, as they rely on your unstable jawbone for support. Without natural teeth to provide stimulation when you chew, your jawbone will resorb over time, losing mass and volume. This creates an ill-fitting prosthetic that no longer serves its intended purpose.
With loose dentures, you may experience:
- Problems enunciating: As your denture slides around on your gums, it becomes harder to speak clearly. Slurred speech and clicking sounds are common effects of loose dentures, making communication a challenge.
- Increasing risks of infection: When chewing with loose dentures, your prosthetic slides around on your gums and irritates your soft tissues. As your denture plate shifts, food may slide beneath your restoration. If left there, the food will accumulate bacteria, potentially increasing your risk of oral infections such as gum disease.
- Difficulties chewing: To break down most foods, you need a stable bite. Loose dentures prevent patients from chewing effectively, taking tough, crunchy, and sticky foods off the menu. With such an altered diet, patients may experience a lack of nutrition.
If your full dentures are loosening on your smile, now is the time to act! Book a free implant consultation with the Mini Dental Implant Center of America in Springfield, MO, to learn how we can secure your smile completely and permanently!
Using Implants To Secure Full Dentures
Dental implants are titanium screws that anchor into your jawbone. Using these implants, we can effectively secure your denture prosthetic in place.
At our office, we use mini dental implants. These are smaller versions of conventional implants that secure even in minimal bone! For patients who’ve experienced jawbone loss, mini implants are often still able to secure without the need for additional bone augmentation procedures.
During your free consultation, we will assess your jawbone quality to determine if your bone can support mini implants. If so, we’ll create a custom treatment plan that suits your smile’s needs.
Our Implant Denture Options
At the Mini Dental Implant Center of America in Springfield, MO, we offer three distinct mini implant denture solutions.
- Implant overdenture: Similar to a traditional full denture, this prosthetic requires a denture base that rests on your gums. However, it is stabilized with 4 to 8 mini implants, spread evenly across your jaw. This restoration is fully removable, allowing you to take it out for easy maintenance. Then, once you’re ready, you can simply “snap” it back into place to restore your smile’s function.
- Semi-removable denture: Unlike a traditional full denture, you never remove a semi-removable restoration. Instead, only a professional removes it during a routine dental visit! Additionally, this prosthetic is called a roundhouse bridge, a sleeker, more natural-looking version of a traditional full denture. When in place, it stays secure on 6 to 10 mini implants.
- Non-removable denture: Using 10 to 12 mini implants, we secure a non-removable roundhouse bridge in place. These implants provide the ultimate stability, allowing you to eat and speak without hesitation. A non-removable denture is cemented in place, providing a permanent solution to tooth loss that restores your smile.
To learn which full denture is right for you, you’ll need to visit us for a free implant consultation. There, we will help you determine which prosthetic best suits your smile.
Visit Us in Springfield, MO, To Restore Your Smile
Complete tooth loss is relatively common as patients get older. While full dentures replace missing teeth, they often loosen over time, making chewing and speaking more difficult. Fortunately, we secure your smile using mini dental implants! With our implant dentures, you can enjoy a stable bite and a beautiful smile that stays secure.
Book a free implant consultation at the Mini Dental Implant Center of America in Springfield, MO, to learn more!
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