Dentures are typically the best way to replace all the teeth in your upper or lower jaw at once, but unfortunately, because they don’t do anything to stop the jawbone from breaking down, eventually they won’t fit as well as they used to and will be more prone to slipping. That’s why the Dental Center of Midlothian offers implant-retained dentures as a more stable alternative for full mouth replacement.
Traditional dentures sit directly on the jaw and are held in place by natural suction. However, they can also be anchored to dental implants. Implants are titanium posts that we can surgically place in your upper or lower jaw that will naturally integrate with the bone. It usually takes four to six implant posts to support an entire arch of prosthetic teeth.
If you’re missing all or most of your teeth, you’re a potential candidate for dentures. If you want them to rest on dental implants, you’ll need to be in excellent oral health and have enough bone density in your jaw to support the posts. You might need bone grafts or other treatments to prepare your mouth for an implant procedure. You’ll need to schedule a consultation with us to decide whether you’re a candidate.
After we’ve decided that implant-retained dentures are right for you and have made the necessary preparations, we’ll place the dental implants into your jaw. A small incision is made in the gums so that the posts can be directly inserted into the bone. It’ll take three to six months for the implants to fuse with the bone, and during this time your dentures will be designed and crafted. You’ll receive your new teeth after your mouth has been given a chance to fully heal.