Implant Dentures — Fresno, CA
Add Some Stability to your Smile!
If you’ve had dentures for a while now, you’re probably acutely aware of some of their shortcomings. There are certain foods that you may have to avoid for the sake of your prosthetic, and needing to come in for frequent relinings can take a lot of time out of your schedule.
If you’re around Fresno and are looking for an upgrade to your prosthetic, a set of implant dentures from Shinkawa Dental can add some stability to your smile! If you’re curious about them give us a call today and we’ll talk about what they could do for you.
What Are Implant Dentures?
As the name would suggest, implant dentures consist of two parts—the acrylic denture designed to simulate the teeth and metal implants that connect them to the jaw. The dental implants are surgically placed inside the jaw, providing the dentures that they’re attached to much greater bite force and stability than you’d get with the prosthetic alone.
There are two kinds of implant dentures, removable and fixed, and which one you should go for depends on your individual needs.
Fixed/Permanent Implant Dentures
Fixed dentures are designed to remain firmly in place, only capable of being removed by a dentist. In the case of a full denture, they’re usually connected to anywhere from 4 to 6 dental implants, affording them considerable long-term stability.
Unlike regular dentures that need to be taken out frequently, a fixed prosthetic allows you to completely forget that you even needed dentures in the first place.
Removable Implant Dentures
Removable dentures are connected to the implants via either a clip or a ball socket, which allows them to be taken off. Like regular dentures, they’ll need to be taken off each day for cleaning. However, they have the benefit of requiring fewer implants than regular dentures, usually only around 2 to 5.
Removable dentures are sometimes called “Snap-On dentures.” While these implant dentures are firmly rooted via dental implants, they use clips (bar-retained) or ball sockets (ball-retained) so that a patient can remove them when they need too. While these dentures need to be removed daily by patients for cleaning, they usually only need two to fives implants.
The Implant Denture Procedure
We complete dental implant procedure in-house, which means that we’ll be with you for every step of the process. First we’ll meet for a dental implant consultation, where we’ll check closely for any oral health problems and talk to you about what we want your final prosthetic to look like. We’ll also complete any preliminary procedures you need, like bone grafts.
At this point, we’ll bring you in for the surgery, where we place the necessary implants in the jaw. This process will be easy, and we’ll take the time for your implants to fuse with your jaw before designing and providing you with your prosthetic.
Am I a Candidate for Implant Dentures?
While dental implants entail surgery, the procedure isn’t very intensive. That means that most people should be able to get implant dentures, provided that your oral health is in generally good condition.
If you have gum disease or cavities, those issues will need to be addressed before the implant surgery to prevent infection. You may also need a bone graft if you’ve found that your jaw has shrunk after wearing traditional dentures for a long time.
Benefits of Combining Dentures & Dental Implants
If you’re curious about whether the switch is worth it, there are quite a few benefits that come with attaching your dentures to implants. To name a few:
- Implant dentures provide a secure fit, reducing slippage and increasing comfort.
- They improve chewing efficiency and clarity of speech due to their stability.
- The implants stimulate jawbone health, preventing bone loss associated with tooth loss.
Give us a call, and we’ll be able to tell you more about what implant dentures could do for you!