When patients first get fitted with dentures, they often expect the appliances to last forever. But that’s rarely the case. Not only do denture materials wear down over time, the shape of the bone also changes, altering the dentures’ fit.
Eventually the shape of the bone shifts to such an extent that the dentures are rendered largely useless. Patients who find their dentures frequently slipping out of place often turn to dental implants in Summit for a more permanent solution.
The primary reason for a denture wearer’s change in bone structure is the absence of the teeth’s roots. With nothing to anchor the jaw bone, it begins to erode. Dental implants, which involve a titanium structure that fuses with the bone in addition to an artificial crown, replicate that function in a way that dentures do not.
As a result, there is no jaw bone resporption with dental implants, as the implant takes the place of roots of missing teeth and holds the jaw bone in place.
Dental implants are also an attractive tooth replacement alternative to dentures because they don’t require messy adhesives with bad aftertaste. Artificial arches of teeth held in place by implants do not slip out of place, and patients typically can maintain a normal diet with few, if any, necessary adjustments.
In some cases in which patients are switching to implants after wearing dentures for an extensive amount of time, they may have significant bone loss that can affect the viability of implants. Nonetheless, certain techniques can maximize the availability of remaining bone or augment the jaw bone to ensure that implants will still succeed.
An artificial arch of teeth can be held in place using just four implants placed near the front of the jaw, where the bone recedes more slowly. Alternatively, if an implant must be placed in the back of the jaw, the sinus floor can be lifted, with the newly created space filled in with bone graft material, supplementing the amount of bone available to support the implant.
If you have noticed that your dentures no longer fit as well as they did a few years ago, call 908-222-7922 and talk to one of our implant dentists to see if you might be a candidate for this dental technology.