Solutions To Your Denture Crisis
Are you struggling with a denture, a partial denture or missing most of your teeth?
If you have answered ‘yes’ then we have three possible solutions depending on your concerns and your goals.
Here’s Jamie to explain…
Introducing Option 1 – Fixed Teeth
The most popular option. It’s a horseshoe shape. There’s no plate, nothing covering the roof of your mouth. You don’t have issues of taste. It feels as close to natural teeth as can possibly be achieved with a full jaw of implants.
What we can do is put implants in, generally in the morning, and then in the afternoon we can fit some teeth for you. We refer to that as ‘fast and fixed’ teeth in a day.
We usually start with a temporary bridge, something that would last for a few months before we look at making something called ‘the definitive bridge’. This is where we go through the smile design process and really get something looking exactly the way you would like it.
The real benefit of fixed teeth is that you can chew, you can smile, you can just get on with your life. It really is a fantastic option if you are either missing or beginning to lose quite a few teeth.
Introducing Option 2 – Telescopic Bridge
Option number two is what we call a ‘telescopic bridge’. This is something that is removable, but it only comes out on command. It will not come out when you are speaking, it will not come out when you are eating and socialising with your friends.
The benefit of this is again you don’t have that plate covering over the roof of your mouth. Being removable it’s very, very easy to keep nice and clean.
It’s also good for those who feel that when they take their denture out there is not enough support for their lip, and feel their face is maybe looking a bit collapsed. We can bulk areas up that help support the face a bit more.
Furthermore, this option can really change how you can socialise with your friends, and live your life without having to worry about a denture moving about or teeth breaking down and becoming painful.
Introducing Option 3 – Implant Retained Denture
An implant retained denture involves the bottom jaw generally having between two and four implants placed, and in the top jaw between four and six implants. Once the implants are in place the denture essentially just clips into place, and once it clips in it’s nice and rigid.
The option of an implant retained denture is a significant improvement compared to the traditional denture, however, there is still a little rock and slight movement.
In addition, over time the inserts will get a bit of wear on them, and the denture won’t be held in quite as well. These are very quick and easy to replace and are not expensive.
Denture Problems
The real problem for some people, particularly those who have had dentures since they were in their twenties, is that they have been wearing a denture for a long time and now they just can’t tolerate it.
Let me explain. Many people will feel that the denture is jiggling, which affects confidence. You stop eating out with your friends. You stop socialising. But a couple of implants in the bottom jaw can make a significant improvement. Everything just clips into place and lets you get on with your life and function with a denture the way you want.
How To Find Out More
If you are interested in finding out more about these options, we really need to see you to determine what it is that you are looking for and what it is that you want to achieve through your treatment. We invite you to come in and see one of our smile advisors for a complimentary consultation.
Your smile advisor will be able to take you through some options, and if you decide that you are happy with those we would get you in with one of our dentists, who would then go through a full assessment with you. This is where we can look at everything, take some x-rays, possibly some scans too, then discuss everything. You will see that everything has been road-mapped out for you before you decide that you are happy enough to go ahead.