What Many People Don’t Know About Dentures
Here at Sheen Dental we regularly place dental implants in Richmond for a variety of reasons. Often it’s to replace a tooth that has been badly damaged, other times it’s to replace a tooth that has been lost because of gum disease, and quite often we use dental implants to retain dentures.
The thing is that when teeth are lost the bone that once supported them starts to shrink away because it’s no longer being stimulated. Many people choose dentures to replace missing teeth and rightly so, they think that this is better than having no teeth, and we guess it probably is. However, the problem with this is that dentures do not prevent bone loss from occurring and, in actual fact, they accelerate the rate of bone loss more so than if the patient simply went about with no teeth. It’s this action which is what causes dentures that started off fitting snugly, to become loose, forcing patients to use more dental adhesive than ever, and leading to a feeling of insecurity when socialising.
In 1972 the results of a 25 year study by Tallgren in Denmark revealed the following statistics:
- When teeth are removed and a denture is placed on the bony ridge, bone loss occurs ten times faster
- A person wearing a lower denture experiences bone loss 4 times faster than a person with an upper denture
- Over the long term, bone is lost constantly year after year
Other alarming statistics reveal that for patients wearing dentures:
- Functionality is only 10% of that for people with all their teeth
- 88% of them find their speech is impaired
- 50% find themselves avoiding many types of food
- 29% only eat soft food which has been mashed
All of these problems are most often associated with senior patients who at this time of their life need more than most the nutrition and roughage which a well balanced, varied diet can provide. They also want to retain their confidence and be able to socialise without feeling embarrassed that their dentures may slip or even fall out.
So, what’s the solution?
The solution is implant retained dentures. As few as 4 implants can be used to hold a denture securely in place, allowing a person to eat a wider range of food and to go about their daily business feeling safe in the knowledge that their dentures aren’t about to fall out. Furthermore, bone loss will be halted, retaining facial structures and preventing jaw shrinkage. Even with bone loss, elder patients can often receive mini implants which don’t require the depth of bone that standard implants do, and yet can comfortably support a denture.
If you’re struggling with dentures and would like to find out more about how dental implants in Richmond can help, then we encourage you to take advantage of a free consultation where we can discuss your best dental options. Call Sheen Dental today on 020 8876 5277 or book online at www.sheendentalimplants.co.uk. No one should have to suffer with severe bone loss and uncomfortable dentures.