Missing All Upper or Lower Teeth
Dental implants are feasible options for more than just single missing teeth. With updates in dental technology, implants are rapidly taking the dental world by the horns. While dentures can be a viable option, it is common for full sets of dentures to make daily activities a challenge.
We have worked with many patients who find wearing upper dentures to not be a problem but wearing lower dentures or wearing a full set of dentures often results in sliding or a loose fit that makes eating or comfort a challenge.
Lower Teeth
Missing all of your lower teeth requires some sort of solution. For a long time, dentures have been the primary solution but they tend to work poorly for the lower teeth. There are many implant-based options that can work well for lower teeth replacement.
Ball Attachment Dentures
Ball attachment dentures are made up of implants placed into your lower jaw and a denture that becomes a permanent fixture, snapping directly onto the implants. The implant stabilizes the denture and keeps them in place. This is a simple option, but not the best. The dentures could still move and you must be careful to watch for food particles that could catch underneath the dentures.
Bar Attachment Denture
Bar Attachment Dentures includes 4-6 implants placed onto the lower jaw area to replace the missing teeth. The number of implants is based on the size and shape of your jaw. In this type of attachment, the denture implants are connected with a support bar and the dentures click onto the bar.
The denture is removable for cleaning, but snaps into place and is held firm so you experience much less movement and better stability.
Screw Retained Denture
The Screw Retained Denture places a minimum of 5 implants into your lower jaw, and then attached a permanent denture fixture. The denture is attached with screws or clasps that secure it to the area. You can clean under the denture without removing it. The only time this denture is removed is during routine maintenance visits to your dentist.
Individual Implants
The best option available is to have individual implants designed for each tooth, replacing each tooth individually. This gives the appearance that natural teeth and most closely resembles a natural appearance.
Because each tooth requires an implant, abutment, and crown this option can get pricy, but also provides the most stable and long-lasting solution to full lower or upper teeth replacement.
Upper Teeth
If you are missing all of your upper teeth, there are similar treatment options to the lower jaw. However, there are some options that differ from the lower teeth options, which we will detail for you.
Implant Retained Upper Denture
The upper jaw is a softer setting than the lower jaw and often requires more implants to be placed. Because of this, we can potentially eliminate the need for a full upper denture placement. This will leave the roof of your mouth uncovered from the denture so that you can fully enjoy your food and enjoy a more natural feeling denture.
This denture option is still removable so that you can clean the denture and the supporting elements easily.
Individual Upper Implants
As with the lower teeth, you can have individual implants placed in the upper jaw. This option allows your teeth replacement to highly resemble your natural teeth. While is the most natural-looking and stable option, the requirement of multiple implants, abutments, and crowns can become costly.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to our office today. We would enjoy the opportunity to consult with you about your full range of options and find a solution that will work best for you. Let us help you give yourself a great smile!