Disappointed With Your Dentures?

Burton dentist Dr George Savva looks at dental implants as a potential solution.

Modern dentures have come a long way in design and comfort and they are still very often the first choice for patients who need to have teeth ‘replaced’. Whilst many people seem perfectly happy with dentures, others are sometimes disappointed. After thinking they had resolved the problems of eating and smiling with missing teeth, they may find that their dentures lack stability, at least to some degree, and may even cause discomfort.

There are a number of reasons that this can happen. A leading one being that the bone in the jaw will continue to degrade and change shape when no tooth root is present. This sometimes causes the dentures to fit less securely than they did as time passes.

Whilst having dentures does mean that you avoid the need for dental surgery, it may also mean that you have to put up with these inconveniences over a long period of time. On the other hand, a one-off treatment could provide a permanent solution to this problem.

Dental implants

Dental implants can be used to replace individual missing teeth, or where a number or a full arch are missing. For the purpose of this blog, we are going to concentrate on the use of implants where a full arch, or a number of consecutive teeth are missing.

Dental implants can be used in two ways to provide patients with a set of stable and strong replacement teeth. Indeed they can be used to stabilise your dentures, or to replace them completely.

Denture stabilisation

If you have dentures, they will be probably be secured through the use of denture adhesive, and possibly through the use of clips too. Whilst this does offer a degree of security, anyone who has tried tackling more challenging foods to chew will possibly have found that their dentures started to move around as they did so. For those who are happy with their dentures, one option is to use dental implants to stabilise them. This involves the placing of a few dental implants, depending on the number of replacement teeth, into the jawbone. Your dentures can then be adapted so that they can be securely attached to the implants, anchoring them securely in place.

‘All On 4’

Another option is to replace the dentures altogether. This is becoming an increasingly popular method of tooth replacement at Alexandra Dental Care and many of our Burton and Ashby patients have taken advantage of this procedure with great success.

Instead of using dentures to replace the missing teeth, implants are placed and a fixed bridge of artificial teeth is then attached to them. These usually both look and feel more natural than dentures and can sometimes also be placed in a single visit. Unlike individual implants which need around 3 months to fuse with the bone, once the bridge is attached you are free to start using your new teeth. We do, however, recommend that you start cautiously, starting with eating softer food. There is likely to be some residual soreness for a short while and doing this will make the experience more comfortable for you and help your implants to settle successfully. We will of course provide full guidance for you.

Placing dental implants does require minor invasive surgery, but our team of experienced implant dentists mean that you are in very good hands. We  are happy to explain the procedure in detail with you, and, should you request it, we also have a sedation option so that you can have your procedure in a very relaxed manner. Whilst this is a popular option with nervous patients, it may be something that you wish to consider anyway, as implant placement is a longer procedure than most you may have previously experienced. The choice is yours and we will explain all of the options for you when you come in to see our team.

If you would like to find out more about our denture replacement options and live in the Burton or Ashby areas, please call Alexandra Dental Care on 01283 216347.

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