Grapevine, TX 76051
(817) 481-1041
Dental Implant Dentures – Grapevine, TX
Fully Restore Your Smile
At Smiles by Martin in Grapevine, we are dedicated to helping patients achieve and maintain their healthiest smiles. When it comes to restoring smiles following advanced tooth loss, we rely on the innovative dental implant tooth replacement method. If you’re unhappy with the fit or function of a denture or you’re struggling with advanced tooth loss, it may be time to call our team to schedule a tooth replacement consultation with our team to discuss dental implant dentures in Grapevine, TX.
Partial Dentures
Partial dentures are used to close the gaps in your smile left by advanced tooth loss. These prosthetics are crafted using a gum-colored base material to support numerous replacement teeth. In most cases, partial dentures are supported with just two to four strategically placed dental implant posts, protecting your remaining healthy teeth and recreating lost tooth structures.
Full Dentures
Like partial dentures, full dentures are crafting using a gum-colored base material to support a full row of replacement teeth. Depending on the patient, just four to six dental implant posts may be used to support the full denture. Once in place, your implant supported denture will look, feel, and function just like your healthy, natural smile.
How Dental Implants Work
Dental implants mimic the lost roots of teeth. They are surgically placed below the gums where they fuse with gum and bone structures, recreating your smile from the roots up. The dental implant supported denture process is completed in several phases.
First, we’ll begin by preparing your smile. This may include removing damaged or decayed teeth, placing tissue grafts, or providing other services to improve oral health and function before we start the tooth replacement process.
Next, you’ll need to have your dental implants surgically placed below the gums. These procedures are relatively simple. We make a small incision in the gums. The implant post is positioned into the jawbone, and a proactive cap is attached.
Over the course of three to six months, the dental implant posts fuse with the jawbone and gum tissue. Once the implant is firmly positioned, you’ll return to the dental office, so we can attach your abutment (attachment piece) and design the denture.
When your denture is completed by the dental lab, you’ll return to our dental office where we affix the partial or full denture to your dental implants.
Benefits of Dental Implant Dentures
Some of the many benefits of dental implant supported dentures include:
- Unlike traditional dentures that only restore about 20% of chewing ability, implant dentures can restore 70% or more healthy chewing function, allowing you to consume a varied and nutritious diet.
- Traditional dentures need to be refitted or replaced every five to ten years, but implant-retained dentures remain functional for two or more decades.
- Following extensive tooth loss, the lack of stimulus from tooth roots leads to the breakdown of supportive gum and bone tissue. Dental implants provided this stimulus to ensure optimal oral health.
- Because you won’t be worried about shifting dentures, you’ll be able to speak clearly and smile with confidence in any situation.
Caring for Your Dental Implant Denture
Once your partial or full dentures are in place, you can brush them just like you would your healthy smile. We may also recommend using an air or water flosser to remove stubborn plaque from the surfaces of your denture and between the denture and gum line. During six month dental exams and teeth cleanings, we’ll examine your smile, and partner with you to maintain your functional implant supported partial or full denture.
Implant Dentures FAQs
Can I Get Implant Dentures If I Already Have Traditional Ones?
For the record, yes – patients can switch to implant dentures from regular ones. Doing so isn’t “forbidden” and can be handled very effectively.
The switch from "normal" dentures to implant-based ones is pretty straightforward. Once the dentist approves treatment, they’ll set strategically-placed implants throughout your mouth. These posts will then serve as the main anchors for a new, customized denture that’ll you’ll wear after you heal. (During your recovery, you’ll use a “healing” or temporary prosthetic instead.)
All that said, things are slightly different if you haven’t had natural teeth for a long time. Prolonged bone loss in your jaw may keep you from quickly qualifying for an implant denture. In that case, you’ll need to undergo a bone graft before you can receive dental implants.
Are Implant Dentures Good for Your Jaw?
Implant dentures actually are good for your jaw, at least compared to traditional kinds. They enhance your mandible’s tissues in ways that benefit your health and looks.
You see, a person’s jaw starts eroding when they lose teeth. Such loss deprives their jawbone of stimulus from tooth roots, causing it to deteriorate over time. The implants in implant dentures solve this problem by mimicking the behavior of natural teeth. As they fuse with your jaw, they keep surrounding bone tissue intact and preserve your facial structure.
Regular dentures don’t have this jaw-preserving effect. Since they just fit snugly over your gums, they don’t stimulate your jawbone enough to maintain its bone tissue.
Do Implant Dentures Require Maintenance?
Though they’re a more “permanent” restoration option, implant dentures require maintenance like regular ones do. They won’t work if you don’t give them regular and consistent care.
Maintaining implant dentures at home isn’t hard, all things considered. Just remember to brush them daily with a soft-bristled toothbrush and a nonabrasive toothpaste or denture cleanser. By sticking to this practice, you’ll keep your prosthetics free of food debris or plaque that could threaten them.
You can get the rest of your maintenance from regular dental checkups. After all, these appointments let a dentist see if your denture still works properly.
Can Anyone Get Implant Dentures?
Implant dentures don’t have drastic requirements, but not just anyone can get them. A patient must have fairly decent oral health (aside from their tooth loss) to qualify for treatment.
More specifically, a good candidate needs healthy gum and jaw tissues. The implants in an implant denture will come loose and fall out if the nearby gum tissue erodes from infection. Similarly, they won’t fuse with your jaw properly if your jawbone lacks sufficient density.
Please consult Dr. Martin to see if your mouth is healthy enough for implant dentures. After examining your smile, he can confirm whether the treatment would suit you.