The Benefits of Implant-Retained Dentures

Unless you have serious dental problems or are missing teeth, you probably don’t think too much about how your teeth allow you to chew and speak comfortably or the importance of your teeth to your overall health. 

At Oral & Facial Surgery of Mississippi, Michael Nichols, DMD, MD, and his staff help our patients enjoy all the benefits of healthy teeth. 

Dr. Nichols’ extensive training in oral surgery gives him the background and knowledge to help people with an array of dental issues. One area that’s shown considerable progress is teeth replacement. 

Your grandparents’ dentures were likely much different than your options today. Dental implants are one option. Another is implant-retained dentures, which offer the best of both worlds for stability and function.

Denture options

You’re probably familiar with conventional dentures, which stay in place using suction against your gums. Some people struggle with soreness when they first get conventional dentures. Later, when the gums shrink, many people end up with dentures that slip and move. 

Although conventional dentures serve a purpose, combining implants and dentures may be a better option. Depending on factors that include how many teeth you’re missing and the health of your jawbone, you might prefer:

• A fixed bridge
• A ball attachment denture
• A bar attachment denture
• A screw-retained denture
• An implant-retained upper denture

Each of these allows the denture to attach more securely to your gums than a conventional denture. 

How implants and dentures work together

Your natural teeth comprise several parts. One of the most important, the tooth root, lies beneath your gum. 

Tooth roots hold teeth in place and stimulate the jawbone each time you bite down. This stimulation increases blood flow to the jaw, keeping the bone healthy and helping to maintain the shape of your face. 

An implant is a prosthetic tooth root. It’s a titanium post placed in your jawbone to support a prosthetic tooth. An implant helps keep your jawbone healthy the way a natural tooth would. 

Combining implants and dentures can replace multiple missing teeth. For example, with an implant-retained upper denture, we can replace all of your upper teeth without covering the roof of your mouth the way conventional dentures do. 

If you’re missing all of your lower teeth, a ball attachment denture might help. This option involves two implants in your lower jaw. We then make a denture that snaps onto your implants and fits your mouth perfectly.

You need to clean your mouth to ensure no food particles get trapped beneath your denture, but it won’t move when you talk and eat. 

A bar attachment denture works similarly but involves 4-6 implants connected with a support bar. Your custom-made denture clips to the bar. Your denture is removable and more stable than a ball attachment denture. 

Another option is All-on-4® treatment. With this procedure, Dr. Nichols places four dental implants that support a full arch of prosthetic teeth. 

What’s best? 

All teeth replacement options have benefits and drawbacks. What might work best for you depends on various factors. Call our Flowood, Mississippi, office today to schedule your consultation.