Most of us have heard stories or even have come across mishaps related to dentures. Be it a denture slipping out from someone’s mouth while talking or a denture falling down while eating at a social gathering! Combining dental implants with dentures is a popular option for patients seeking a more secure and comfortable tooth replacement solution. By anchoring dentures to dental implants, they become stable and prevent slippage, while still offering the convenience of removable dentures. This combination provides improved functionality, aesthetics, and confidence.

A few years back, a senior person with all missing chompers had the only option of a removable complete denture. Some people who got themselves used to wearing their dentures continued happily, but few who couldn’t were helpless and had to manage without teeth. But now, due to the emergence of implant-supported dentures, an option of ‘third set of fixed teeth’ after milk teeth and permanent teeth is available to the senior citizens!

Time to bid good-bye to the traditional dentures!

Removable complete dentures have been the most trusted option to replace the missing teeth for ages altogether! Few patients find it very difficult to adapt to the removable dentures. The hassle of always keeping them in water when not in use and cleaning the dentures to getting used to eating with them is a lot to take in for new denture wearers.

Few of them have never used dentures at all! In such cases, these patients had to face the dire consequence of living life without teeth! On the contrary, many patients were and are very loyal users of dentures and continue using them despite the limitations. Removable complete dentures have many drawbacks like-

• The biggest disadvantage is the lack of stability. Dentures keep shaking and moving.
• Dentures have limited lifespan and need to be replaced every 7-8 years for better functioning.
• The jaw bone tends to lose a lot of bone mass owing to the long-term use of removable dentures.
• Ill-fitting dentures give rise to many problems like mouth sores, jaw joint pain, non-healing ulcers etc.
• Improper dentures can affect the speech of a person.
• Due to shaking dentures there is a limitation to eat food.
• Patient is more conscious and insecure to wear a denture in social events. 

Therefore, due to the above-mentioned multiple setbacks, complete dentures were more of a disadvantage rather than an advantage.

 Get to know about implant-supported dentures!

Implants and dentures are two different treatment modalities but when combined together give remarkable results! Full mouth implants known as implant-supported dentures give a firm and stable foundation for the dentures to be seated. The implants fixed in the jaw bone act like an anchor and give excellent grip to the dentures.

Implant-supported dentures give additional benefits over the removable dentures in terms of better speaking ability, improved looks, hygiene and maintenance. With the help of these the patient is able to chew properly and the chewing forces are not well distributed throughout the jaw bone. This way the chewing force is not directed to one particular area and does not harm the underlying jawbone. All these factors have a very positive psychosocial impact on a person’s mind and hence an in general improved quality of life. 

How do the full mouth implants and dentures work?

A person with absolutely no teeth faces a lot of issues related to removable dentures. Also, the growing age makes it even more difficult due to changes in the oral cavity like loss of jaw bone mass. In such situation a solid and steady foundation similar to natural teeth makes the use of dentures easy and trouble-free. So, dental implants and dentures are two separate treatment modalities.

Dental implants are fixed whereas dentures are removable! But, when both combined yield momentous results. According to the patient requirement and the prior investigations, either four or six dental implants are fixed in the upper and lower jaws of patient. Sufficient duration of 3-6 months is then allowed for the implants to be completely integrated in the patient’s jaw bone. After which a removable complete denture is fabricated over these fixed implants similar to conventional dentures.

These dentures engage into fixed implants like a ball and socket joint and hence are extremely stable. Such dentures can be removed and placed again with a simple snap in motion. That is why they are also known as ‘snap-in dentures’! 

Traditional implants versus implant-retained dentures!

As discussed earlier conventional complete dentures lack steady support and hence over a period patients tend to discontinue using their dentures. Implant retained dentures have numerous benefits over traditional dentures and are now an established treatment method. Due to its predictable and successful outcome patients now prefer implant-retained dentures rather than the conventional removable dentures.

The firm and steady support provided by the dental implants markedly increases the esthetic appearance of the patients. Also, it supports and maintains the tone of facial muscles. Implant-retained dentures helps to maintain the oral hygiene of patients since the dentures can be removed and washed after every meal and placed again with a simple snap-in method.

This way, the gum health is maintained well and the dentures work for a longer duration. Patients can relish on mild to moderate hard foodstuffs and need not depend on the grinder every time. Improved quality of food improves the general health of the patient too!

What is the cost of implant-retained dentures?

As mentioned earlier, the dental implants and removable dentures are two separate treatment modalities and hence the cost of this entire treatment is calculated as two but framed in one! The cost of dental implants is estimated according to the patient requirement usually 4-6. This cost also includes the entire duration required to place the dental implants. And the cost of a complete denture is according to the material of the denture selected.

Also, the cost of dentures in implant-supported dentures is slightly variable than the traditional dentures since extra preparation is required for the attachment of implants. As per the health of the jaw bone, different types of dental implants can be placed. If the jaw bone of the patient is healthy with optimum height, width and density conventional endosteal implants of the standard company can be placed.

In case where the jaw bone has undergone huge resorption due to long-term use of conventional implants, mini-implants are always an option! Therefore, the cost varies according to the type, number of implants and dentures.

Highlights

• Dentures together with implants offer numerous advantages over the traditional removable complete dentures.
• Implant-retained dentures are more firm, steady, esthetic, comfortable and trouble-free as compared to conventional dentures.
• Implant-supported dentures improves the speech, has a much better biting efficiency and maintains the jaw bone in optimum health.
• The food chewed through a stable foundation provided by the implant-retained dentures aids in better digestion of food and improved general health of the patient.
• Implant supported dentures have more predictable, successful and reliable outcome and hence is the preferred choice by most of the patients.