Smile Series III

This article is Part Three on a series on better smiles and what dentists can do to help you have a nice set of teeth. We will be covering topics such as implants, dentures, Invisalign amongst others.

Part III: Implant supported dentures

Many of my patients wear dentures. Either a full denture or a partial denture. Many of my patients who wear dentures, complain that they are loose, have difficulty eating, chewing, and have the embarrassment of the teeth falling out when they laugh. Does this sound like you? Or perhaps someone you know?

Dental implants are a fantastic option that can lock your dentures firmly in place… so you can function like how you used to before you had dentures.

There are two main types of dental implants:

Mini implants

This is new technology and are narrow diameter implants. Usually four implants are required. As the procedure is similar to keyhole surgery, the recovery is usually faster, and more comfortable.

Standard implants

This is the conventional way of securing a lower denture, requiring two implants in the front portion of your jaw.

The denture is then clipped onto the implants. Don’t worry, you can still take them in and out like you currently do. This can improve and overcome ill-fitting dentures. Many of our patients that have had implant-supported dentures have been say it’s the best thing they have done and they wished they done this earlier!

Figure 1 and 2: Mini implants (left) and standard implants (right). Usually four mini implants are required as they are narrower, and two standard implants are needed as they are wider.