What Are Implant Supported Dentures?

Sure you’ve heard of the regular old dentures that have made grandmothers the butt of so many jokes. But those ‘old-school’ dentures are not the only ones on the market anymore.

An implant-supported denture is an alternative to standard dentures which involves being attached to implants, rather than standing alone. While the average denture rests just on top of one’s teeth or gums, an implant-supported denture works in tandem with implants.

These types of dentures are used only when someone is bereft of any and all teeth. Implants are only made possible if the patient has enough bone in the jaw to support the implant. After the implant is installed, a special denture can then be hooked onto the implant. Implants are typically created for the lower jaw. Surprisingly, the lower jaw is actually less equipped to handle conventional dentures than the upper jaw. That being said, implant-supported dentures can be made for both the upper and lower jaw.

If you think that implants may require less maintenance than regular dentures, you’d better think again. Same as with standard dentures, you’ll have to remove them every night to keep them moist and bacteria-free.

If you’re considering going down this route, you’ll have the option of two denture choices: bar-retained and ball-retained. No matter the type of denture you choose, you’ll most likely be given acrylic-based dentures that will resemble the same color as your gums.

The process of creating implants takes between five and twelve months depending on a number of factors. Two surgeries are needed to implant dentures properly. The first one deals with putting implants into your gums. The second operation is performed to create the hooks that are necessary for attaching your dentures. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your surgery, feel free to talk things out with the best dentists in the Leesburg area.