If you’ve worn dentures for a while, you’ve probably grown accustomed to them by now. You may have even become comfortable with the routine need for readjustments or replacements as your dentures gradually lose their grip. For many patients who rely on dentures, however, the relatively high maintenance required to keep them in good shape is an inconvenience they’d prefer to do without. By securing your dentures to a series of strategically-placed dental implants, you can eliminate the major causes behind denture slippage, and enjoy a better, sturdier, more lifelike set of replacement teeth.
What Dentures Can’t Do
When you think of your teeth, you might think most of the visible portions, or crowns, that make up your smile and are responsible for biting and chewing your food. Lost crowns are what modern dentures replace, allowing you to regain the beauty and function of a full set of teeth. What dentures cannot replace are the roots that once supported the crowns of your lost teeth, which not only held them in place, but also helped keep your jawbone strong and healthy through stimulation. When you lose your teeth’s roots, your jawbone loses density, and your dental ridges can shrink from the deterioration.
What Dental Implants Were Made For
Dental implants are root-shaped devices that are surgically inserted into the jawbone of a patient who’s lost one or more teeth. The implants, made from biocompatible titanium, replace your lost teeth’s roots, and can support your denture with unmatched strength and stability. By reestablishing a root system embedded within your jawbone, dental implants can also help stem the bone deterioration and changing dental ridges that lead to ill-fitting dentures.
