Implant-Supported Dentures Provide Better Fit and may Stop Bone Loss

Your dentures have served you well over the years. Lately, though, you’ve noticed the fit loosening in the lower denture. It’s not a new problem: you’ve had them refitted a few times already. But now it seems to be growing worse and you’re having more trouble chewing food or speaking clearly.

The problem isn’t all wear and tear with your dentures — the bone in your jaw is shrinking. A denture applies forces that are compressive. Natural teeth produce forces when we chew that travel through the tooth root and stimulate the bone to grow. Without teeth, there’s no such force to stimulate the bone. As a result, new bone cells don’t replace older cells at a healthy rate and bone volume diminishes over time. Because traditional dentures are supported by the gum ridges, the constant compressive forces on the gums can also contribute to bone loss.

As mentioned, we can refit dentures by lining them with new acrylic material. Eventually, though, it may be necessary to consider a new set of dentures that match the altered contours of your jaw. But continuing bone loss might lead to the same fate for your new dentures as your previous pair.

There’s a relatively new alternative, though, that could provide greater denture stability and help deter bone loss: implant overdentures. They’re actually a union between a traditional denture and a dental implant, a tooth replacement approach introduced over thirty years ago.

With this option, two strategically-placed implants are surgically inserted into the jaw bone. We then manufacture a denture (or retrofit your current dentures, if possible) with fittings that connect to the implants. Once in the mouth, the dentures gain their main support from the implants rather than the gum ridge, which relieves pressure on the bone. And because the titanium implant has a natural affinity with bone, new bone will grow and attach itself to it, increasing its stability and stopping bone loss.

Although more expensive than traditional dentures, implant overdentures are more affordable than individual teeth replaced by implants and are very cost-effective over time. What’s more, they can restore the comfort and confidence to eat, speak and smile that you once enjoyed when you had your own teeth.

If you would like more information on implant-supported dentures, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Implant Overdentures.”