Bone Loss After Dentures – What Are My Options?
Although dentures are still a great replacement method for missing teeth, many patients unfortunately don’t realise that their jaws will change over time with wearing conventional dentures. When teeth are missing, because there’s no longer any tooth roots to stimulate the jawbone and soft tissues, the bone slowly starts to waste away because of under-use, causing the jaw to erode and change shape. This means that their once snug fitting dentures start to lose their fit and slide around in their mouth. This can cause blisters and sores in the mouth, make it difficult for the individual to speak clearly and chew effectively, as well as causing them embarrassment when slippage occurs. The combination of all of these problems can make a person feel thoroughly miserable and strip them of their confidence, sometimes turning them into a recluse who is afraid to venture out of the house.
For patients who are suffering jaw atrophy, then fortunately there is a solution using dental implants. In Richmond, here at Sheen Dental we can place 2 to 6 implants into the jaw to secure your dentures and stop them from slipping around in the mouth.
How it works
During a short period of surgery you’ll have implants placed into your jawbone at specific points. If you’ve suffered a loss of bone then we may use small diameter implants which don’t require as much bone as conventional implants. These are anchored in a special way so that they will be able to support a denture. The implants are made from titanium and look a bit like a small metal screw. Once they’ve been placed, your gums will be stitched back up and the implant sites left to heal. During the following months they should fuse with the bone that surrounds them so that they become a permanent fixture in your mouth. Acting like tooth roots, they can then be used to anchor the denture securely into your mouth, and since they stimulate the bone and gums, then any further bone loss is halted.
Once your implants are stabilised then we’ll use special fixtures which attach the dentures to the implants. You’ll be relieved to know that there’s no longer any need for dental adhesive and you’ll find it much easier to bite and chew on your favourite foods.
The denture snaps on and off easily so that you can clean your denture, or if you prefer, we can affix it permanently into your mouth. Because these dentures are anchored into your gum line as opposed to sitting on top, they look extremely natural and no-one will guess that you’re wearing dentures.
If you’re fed up with a sore mouth and constant trips to have your dentures adjusted, then why not consider a dental implant in Richmond as a means of giving security to your dentures. You can spread the cost with our range of finance plans too. Give us a call on 020 8876 5277 to book a free consultation or contact us online at www.sheendentalimplants.co.uk. Trust us to put the smile back on your face.