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Spanish Did you know that a tooth’s structure has two distinct parts? There is the crown, which you see above the gum line when you smile, and the root, which lies below the gums! This root actually serves a vital purpose: helping maintain your oral health! The sturdy structure of a tooth root both keeps your teeth in place and stimulates your jawbone when you bite or chew. Stimulation keeps your jawbone healthy by maintaining its density. When you lose a tooth, you also lose stimulation, which results in bone resorption—the loss of bone mass and volume. To keep your jawbone healthy and your smile functional, you must replace missing teeth! While traditional dentures can replace crowns, they can’t replace tooth roots. Fortunately, Dr. Aristodemo offers a more stable denture replacement that restores the whole structure of a tooth!
Why Traditional Dentures Lack Stability
Depending on your needs, you can replace an entire arch of teeth with a lower full denture, an upper full denture, or both.
An upper full denture relies primarily on suction to stay in place. The roof of your mouth (or the palate) provides a broad surface that allows the denture to form a seal with saliva, helping to keep it secure! However, many older adults lack the saliva necessary to keep their prosthetics in place.
Additionally, the bulky denture plate used for suction is often uncomfortable and blocks the taste buds of your upper palate! Without these important taste buds, your ability to fully savor the foods and drinks you love is lost.
A lower full denture relies on your jawbone for stability. Using impressions of your smile, we craft your denture to fit the contours of your mouth perfectly. This tight fit allows your prosthetic to stay secure on your jawbone! Unfortunately, a lower full denture won’t fit forever. Because traditional dentures only replace the crowns of your teeth and not the roots, your jawbone will begin to resorb.
As your jawbone loses mass and volume, it will change shape over time, no longer fitting to your lower denture! While a reline or denture replacement can fix instability, they’re just temporary solutions, as your jawbone will continue to lose density.
The functional limitations of traditional dentures can negatively affect a patient’s quality of life! Thankfully, Dr. Aristodemo has a more stable solution.
Secure Your Floating Denture With Dental Implants
At Happy Smiles Family Dentistry, Dr. Aristodemo uses dental implants for a more stable denture replacement. She secures these titanium posts into the jawbone, acting as artificial tooth roots. When you bite or chew with implant-supported dentures, the implants stimulate your jawbone, helping to maintain its health and shape. Dr. Aristodemo uses two kinds of implants at her practice.
Traditional Dental Implants
Traditional dental implants are around 5 millimeters and consist of various parts held together with an implant screw. To place these implants, Dr. Aristodemo will make an incision into your gums and drill a hole in your jawbone with a series of drills that increase in size. Each component is placed separately, with healing periods throughout the procedure. Then, the implant needs time to secure to your jawbone through osseointegration! This process allows the implant to bond with the bone, creating a strong foundation for your denture replacement. In a few months, your traditional implants will be ready to support a brand-new and beautiful smile!
Mini Dental Implants
Mini dental implants are less than 3 millimeters in diameter and have a sleek, one-piece structure! Because of their smaller size, Dr. Aristodemo can place these implants in a single appointment without incisions or stitches. This minimally invasive approach not only speeds up healing but also makes the procedure much more comfortable for patients. Additionally, their threaded design enhances stability immediately after placement, enabling Dr. Aristodemo to secure a temporary denture the same day!
Another advantage of mini implants is that they osseointegrate faster than traditional implants. Instead of waiting months for your final denture, you can receive your permanent restoration much sooner! Because mini implants require less healing time, fewer appointments, and fewer components, they offer a more affordable alternative to traditional implants—making them an excellent option for patients on a budget!
Mini Implant Retained Denture Replacement Options
Dr. Aristodemo offers three mini implant-supported denture replacement options at Happy Smiles Family Dentistry. These include:
- Snap-on denture: Because of the support mini implants provide, this denture doesn’t need the bulky upper denture plate, freeing your taste buds! It also offers excellent stability for your lower denture while allowing easy maintenance. You can “snap” this denture off your 4-8 implants at any time, all while knowing it will stay secure in your mouth when on.
- Semi-permanent roundhouse bridge: This denture option needs 6-10 mini dental implants for support and only comes out at the dentist’s office. During routine cleanings and checkups, Dr. Aristodemo will take your dentures off. Otherwise, a semi-permanent roundhouse bridge stays secure on your implants to provide a beautiful and functional smile.
- Permanent roundhouse bridge: While snap-on dentures and semi-permanent roundhouse bridges come off your implants when needed, this denture will never come off! Dr. Aristodemo cements the denture in place on 10-12 mini implants without needing the bulky pink base associated with dentures. Instead, this restoration provides a seamless and natural look with an incredibly strong bite! Permanent roundhouse bridges are the perfect tooth loss solution for those looking to get as close as possible to their natural smile.
Looking for a Denture Replacement? Visit Happy Smiles Family Dentistry!
Traditional dentures can’t replace the entire structure of a tooth, but fortunately, Dr. Aristodemo offers a more secure solution! Using dental implants, she can replace your denture with a stable prosthetic that allows you to eat, talk, and live freely. Mini dental implants provide amazing benefits, making them the ideal implant for replacing teeth!
Book a free implant consultation at Happy Smiles Family Dentistry today to learn what Dr. Aristodemo can do for your smile!
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