Implant Dentures – St. Johns, FL
A Reliable Way to Rebuild Your Smile
Did you know that your jaw begins to thin after tooth loss? With every bite down, your roots stimulate new bone growth that keeps it active and healthy. When they go missing, you can lose up to 25% of the surrounding bone mass within the first year.
Unfortunately, this process of degeneration can impact the fit of traditional dentures. As the bony ridges in your mouth flatten, your restorations can’t form a tight enough bond to remain firmly in place. Thankfully, Dr. Jonathan Cohen has a reliable way to rebuild your smile with implant dentures. Continue reading to learn more about this popular treatment, and feel free to contact us with additional questions!
Why Choose Julington Creek Family Dentistry for Implant Dentures?
- Advanced Technology to Enhance Patient Comfort
- Multiple Types of Sedation Available
- Member of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry
What Are Implant Dentures?
Standard dentures stay in place because the acrylic base forms a tight suction against the connective tissues over the bony ridges in your mouth. However, this connection can become unstable as your jawbone weakens over time.
Implant dentures involve surgically placing anywhere from four to eight titanium rods (implants) in your arch to anchor your restoration, instead. There are two different types, and our team will recommend the best solution for your unique needs after your initial consultation. The options are:
Fixed/Permanent Implant Dentures
Once these are placed, they’re not intended to be removed except by a professional, like Dr. Cohen. Many patients frustrated with frequently ill-fitting dentures choose this treatment because of its permanent nature. After placing the titanium rods in your jawbone, our team will provide dentures made to look like your natural teeth and gums to anchor to them for a lifelike grin you don’t have to remove and reinsert for cleanings.
Removable Implant Dentures
Sometimes referred to as “Snap-On Dentures”, this option also involves surgically placing the metal poles in your jawbone. However, instead of anchoring your new teeth to them permanently, they’re connected via clips (bar-retained) or ball sockets (ball-retained) so that they can be taken out. These often require fewer implants (usually between two and five), but you must remove them twice daily to wash them.
The Implant Denture Process
At Julington Creek Family Dentistry, we proudly provide each step of the implant process in the office, including oral surgery, so there’s no need to seek additional outside providers. First, you’ll need to consult Dr. Cohen so he can examine your mouth and address any pre-existing problems, like cavities or gum disease, that might interfere with the results. He’ll also measure your jawbone density to verify whether it’s thick enough to support your new teeth. Sometimes, an additional bone graft is needed to bulk it up to proceed.
Once your implants are surgically placed, it can take three to six months to heal because your jaw must generate enough new bone growth to fuse with the metal rods in a process called osseointegration. When your tissues have healed enough, Dr. Cohen will make impressions and take scans and images of your teeth, gums, and jawbone to send to a dental lab to begin building your prosthetics. It can take a few weeks for them to be delivered, then you’ll be scheduled for a final fitting to place them.
Am I a Candidate for Implant Dentures?
Although dental implants are incredibly popular, that doesn’t automatically mean they’re the best treatment to everyone’s unique circumstances. Our team looks for the following traits in ideal candidates for the procedure:
- Commitment to oral health. You must demonstrate your dedication to proper preventive care, like regularly brushing and flossing your teeth, to maintain your restorations.
- Sufficient jawbone density. If your jaw is already too thin, you might need an additional bone graft surgery to continue.
- Good general health. We’ll update your medical history to ensure your body is strong enough to safely undergo the dental implant procedure.
Benefits of Combining Dentures & Dental Implants
There are many advantages to anchoring your dentures with dental implants, such as:
- Function like natural teeth. The titanium rods in your jaw keep it active and healthy, and because they fuse with the bone, they restore most of your original bite force so there are very few dietary restrictions.
- Realistic appearance. The dentures anchored to the metal rods are customized to look and feel like the teeth that went missing.
- Prevent additional loss. Maintaining your jawbone helps you avoid additional tooth loss and preserves your facial structure.
- Enhanced enunciation. You can overcome any changes to your speech patterns that might have occurred with tooth loss, like a lisp or a slur.
- Long-lasting. There’s a good chance your implants will remain in good shape for the remainder of your natural life, and the attached restoration can last 10 to 15+ years, if cared for correctly.