When you are missing a full arch of teeth on the upper or lower jaw, you have to do something. There are several choices you can make.

If you are already wearing a denture, you can have it modified.
You can get a new conventional denture.
You can invest in an implant supported denture, which is the best possible kind of denture.
You can do nothing, which is not a good idea.

Delaying treatment
If you do nothing, your jawbone will continue to shrink because you are missing teeth. This will make future treatment more difficult and costly.

Wearing an implant supported denture
An implant supported denture is also called a fixed denture. The implant is embedded in the jawbone, but the denture itself can be removed for cleaning or during sleep.

Depending on your situation, an implant denture may not work for you.

If you smoke, this may prevent you from being a candidate for dental implants. Implantation involves surgery and a 3-6 month healing process. Smoking interferes with this healing process.

If you are diabetic or have severe gum disease, you may also not be able to wear implant supported dentures.

If you have lost a significant amount of bone mass, we will possibly have to do a bone graft to rebuild the jaw enough to support implantation. If you have Periodontal disease, we would have to perform LANAP treatment first so your gums can handle the surgery. This can be a long, drawn out, and costly process.

Financial complications can also arise if your dental insurance does not cover implants. Again, we strongly believe that implants are the best road to take, but if they are not possible or practical for you at this time, there are other things we can do for you.

Modifying a current denture
Your denture may not be fitting very well due to the changes that inevitably occur in a mouth with missing teeth. Many times, a simple relinement and adjustment is all that is needed to restore a proper fit that is comfortable and functional. On some occasions we can make a better-fitting denture base as well, so that we can reuse the teeth in your current denture.

Wearing a conventional denture
A conventional denture is custom-made for you 6-8 weeks after you have lost your teeth. It is made after the immediate denture that was initially placed no longer fits because the shape of your mouth changes.

Conventional dentures are used to replace either an upper or lower arch of missing teeth. They work well in the beginning, but over time the jawbone shrinks because tooth roots are now gone. This shrinkage will change the shape of your mouth, cheeks, and lips. This is why we recommend implant supported dentures as a better alternative to conventional dentures if you are a candidate for implantation.

Labels: fixed dentures, implant supported dentures