Dental Implant Denture Options That Stabilize Your Smile

While traditional dentures are originally custom-designed to fit in your mouth, they often loosen over time. Because traditional dentures don’t replace your tooth roots—which are responsible for keeping your jawbone full and healthy—your jawbone will resorb, losing mass and volume. As your jaw shrinks and your denture remains the same shape, the prosthetic will begin to shift around on your gums. Unfortunately, loose dentures have negative consequences for your diet, as it becomes difficult to chew some foods. However, Dr. Bradford at Brent Bradford, DDS, has solutions! He offers innovative dental implant-supported denture options that stabilize your smile while preserving your jawbone health.

Common Issues With Traditional Dentures

Traditional full dentures replace an entire arch of teeth, providing you with a brand-new and functional smile. But these dentures also come with issues that make life for denture patients a bit more difficult. These issues include:

• Gum irritation: Because traditional dentures come loose over time, they typically slide around on your gums while you chew or speak. Floating dentures irritate the soft tissues of your mouth, causing inflammation and painful denture sores.
• Chewing difficulties: To chew food effectively, you need a strong bite. With loose dentures, chewing becomes difficult, and tougher foods are almost impossible to break down. This may lead to an unfortunate change in diet, which will prevent you from getting the important nutrients you need to stay healthy.
• Bone resorption: Traditional dental implants only replace the surface of your smile, not the tooth roots below, which are responsible for keeping your jawbone healthy. As your missing teeth remain unreplaced, your bone will continue to shrink over time. This leads to excessive wrinkling around the lips, sunken cheeks, and even changes in your facial structure!
• Social isolation: As eating or speaking with loose dentures becomes more difficult, many patients find themselves avoiding social interaction. When isolating yourself from others, it’s not uncommon to feel a psychological impact. Patients who isolate themselves can have an increased risk of mental health issues like depression or anxiety.

Dental Implant Solutions for Dentures

Dr. Bradford believes that no one should have to settle for unstable dentures. Fortunately, he provides dental implant solutions that keep your denture in place! In general, there are two types of dental implants.

Conventional dental implants are larger, usually around 5 millimeters in diameter. For these implants, a complex surgical procedure is necessary, involving incisions, stitches, and long healing periods. However, it’s important to note that not all patients are eligible for traditional implants, as they require ample jawbone structure.

Mini dental implants are a much smaller alternative, with a sleek, one-piece design. Because of their narrow diameter, patients with a reduced jawbone structure are usually still eligible for mini implants! Dr. Bradford uses a minimally invasive procedure to place these implants that doesn’t require any incisions or stitches. With just a small pilot hole in the gums and jawbone, he places mini implants in one appointment.

Mini Dental Implant Denture Options

At Brent Bradford, DDS, Dr. Bradford offers three mini dental implant denture options.

• Snap-in denture: With a “snap,” you can remove these dentures anytime for cleaning and convenience. Otherwise, they stay secure on the mini implants in your jawbone.
• Semi-permanent roundhouse bridge: This restoration is even more secure, allowing Dr. Bradford to remove the bulky denture base common in traditional dentures. Instead, the restoration features a sleek horseshoe-shaped design that stays securely in place on your implants. While you never take out semi-permanent dentures, Dr. Bradford will at routine dental appointments.
• Permanent roundhouse bridge: These dentures are the most similar to your natural teeth, as they are permanently cemented in place, never to come out. With permanent dentures, you can enjoy a natural-looking and feeling smile, as well as all the foods you love with no restrictions.

At your free consultation, we will discuss which denture solution with dental implant stability works best for you!

Enjoy a More Stable Smile at Brent Bradford, DDS

Loose dentures are uncomfortable and have many unfortunate consequences. With dental implant solutions, Dr. Bradford stabilizes your denture and provides you with a strong foundation for your smile. Mini dental implants are a reliable option that support natural-looking restorations and help keep your jawbone healthy. With their wonderful benefits, you can enjoy smiling, talking, and eating again after tooth loss!

Book a free consultation today for a complimentary exam to determine your eligibility for dental implants!

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