Dental implants
Replacing All of Your Teeth
Loose Dentures
Implant Home | Replacing a Single Tooth | Replacing Several Teeth | Replacing All of Your Teeth/Loose Dentures
Good news: If you have no teeth you don’t need an implant for every missing tooth!. If you have loose full dentures or are about to lose the last of your teeth, there are two different solutions to consider. You may be suitable for either implant supported dentures or fully fixed implanted teeth.
Implant supported dentures
A simple and cost effective solution to loose dentures.
An implant supported denture is a simple solution to loose or painful dentures. While not offering the stability of fully implanted teeth, it does offer a vast improvement in stability and comfort over traditional dentures. Just two implants are placed under an existing lower denture and the denture clips on to the implants. This is a great solution for you if the complexity and cost of fixed teeth is a worry. An implant supported denture is sometimes more appropriate if you have suffered a lot of bone and gum shrinkage because the denture material can replace the lost visible gum better than some fixed tooth solutions.
Fully fixed implanted teeth
As the name suggests these teeth are secure and removable only by the dentist. A full arch of ten or twelve fixed teeth can often be secured to just five or six implants. This is the ultimate solution and offers complete security. Your dentures are thrown away!
How will the implants be placed?
Firstly, the implants, which look like screws or cylinders, are placed in to your jaw and the gum is closed over them. Intravenous sedation is available for this. Over the next two to four months, the implants and the bone are allowed to bond together to form anchors for your artificial teeth. During this time, a temporary tooth replacement option can be worn over the implant sites.
The second stage of the procedure is to expose the implants and attach extensions. These small metal posts, called abutments, complete the foundation on which your new teeth will be placed. Your gums will be allowed to heal for a couple of weeks following this procedure but a temporary denture or bridge can continue to be worn during this time.
Occasionally it is possible to combine the first two stages so that the implants show through the gum immediately after placement. This substantially reduces the over all treatment time.
Finally replacement bridges are custom made for you and cemented to the abutments. These are often splinted together for extra strength but look like individual teeth. After a short time, you will experience restored confidence in your smile and your ability to chew and speak naturally.
Click here to meet Jim Toms, the implant dentist
To book your free implant consultation
e-mail : jim.toms@ukrtc.net