Permanent Dentures
When most people hear the word “dentures,” they think of the big, bulky acrylic dentures that their grandparents or parents wore. These conventional dentures offer a quick and inexpensive solution to the problem of missing teeth, but they aren’t the most comfortable or effective. Because they aren’t anchored into place, they can shift around, cause discomfort, and limit one’s ability to enjoy a wide range of foods. Luckily, these are not the only option today.
Permanent dentures, held firmly in place with the assistance of dental implants, are an excellent, comfortable, and attractive denture solution that is available to patients of all ages and walks of life. Highly customizable and built to last for decades, permanent dentures are now a routinely utilized form of tooth replacement. While they take a bit more time and money to create, many find that the durability and function are worth the wait as well as the expense.
Parts and Processes of Permanent Dentures: Implant Fixtures
Permanent dentures are supported by dental implants, and as such are created and installed much in the same way. While prosthetic crowns held in place by dental implants require their own dedicated implants, permanent dentures can be retained with as few as two to four dental implants. While at least two are required on the bottom arch and at least four are necessary to hold the top arch in place, dentists usually recommend at least four on the bottom and as many as six on the top. This provides greater stability and also functions as a bit of an implant insurance policy; if one or even two dental implants were ever to fail (this is rare but can occur in limited cases), there would still be enough functional implants to support the dentures.
The first step in creating permanent dentures is introducing the foundational support piece called the dental implant fixture into the jawbone. This is done during a short surgical procedure in which an oral surgeon opens up the gums, implants the implant fixture (a small, thin post usually made of titanium), and stitches the gums back over the implant, which remains hidden from sight below the gumline.
If preferred by the patient and/or surgeon, a healing abutment (also referred to as a “cuff”) can be placed over the implant fixture. This piece would sit just above the gumline, allowing them the soft tissues of the gums to heal while also covering the surgical site. This is usually a matter of preference and is discussed and decided prior to placing the implant fixtures.
Parts and Processes of Permanent Dentures: Abutments
After the dental implants are installed, adequate time must be allowed for not only the gums to heal but also the implant fixture to become one with the jawbone. This process – called osseointegration – can take anywhere from two to six months and is an incredibly important part of the implant process. The strength and support that these tiny pieces of titanium (or in some case, zirconia) lend the structures that they retain is truly remarkable; it is this foundational piece that makes dental implants so strong and durable, so it is important to respect this waiting time.
Once the implant fixtures have fused with the bone, the dentist will either remove the healing cuffs that were placed and replace them with a permanent abutment or simply attach a permanent abutment to the fixture. The abutment is the small piece that connects the implant fixture to the appliance that it supports. In order to place the abutment, the dentist will open up the gums, make the connection, and stitch the gums up one final time. The healing time for these soft tissues is much shorter: a matter of weeks rather than months.
Parts and Processes of Permanent Dentures: Denture Arches
Once the implant fixture and abutment are in place, the permanent dentures that they are designed to support can be put in place. These are made in close consultation with one’s dentist, and a great deal of thinking and decision-making goes into designing them.
Unlike the conventional dentures used by previous generations, the dentures retained by dental implants are much more streamlined; gone are the big, bulky acrylic bases; so, too, is the layer of acrylic that covers the roof of one’s mouth in conventional dentures. The arches supported by dental implants are small, horseshoe-shaped prosthetics that cover only what they’re meant to replace and nothing more.
Depending on one’s preference, permanent dentures can be made to be truly permanent: cemented in place and non-removable or made to snap in and out. This gives the wearer some choice in terms of both the experience of wearing them and the needs related to cleaning and maintenance. Some wearers of implant-supported dentures prefer them to be truly permanent and simply brushed regularly like one’s natural teeth. Others prefer the ability to remove them at night to clean them thoroughly in a cleaning solution; an added benefit of these “snap-in” dentures is that they can be removed if and when any maintenance work is required.
Are Permanent Dentures Right for Me?
Permanent dentures are an excellent solution for a wide variety of people; the requirements are simply good enough health to undergo a short surgical procedure, the availability of quality bone mass in the jaw, and the patience to get through the healing windows. For those who don’t have enough bone mass for regular implants, bone grafting can provide an option.
The best way to know if permanent dentures are the right tooth replacement technology for you is to simply have a conversation with a dentist that you trust. She or he will be able to answer your questions, talk more about the process, inform you about existing payment options, and help you think through the pros and cons.
If you think you might benefit from the many advantages of permanent dentures – increased comfort and confidence, the ability to enjoy a wide variety of foods, and a durable, functional, and natural looking structure that will support your face and smile – why wait? Pick up the phone and make an appointment today.