Dental Implant Supported Dentures – Plano, TX

Whether you’re missing a single tooth or a full row of teeth, the Parkway Vista Dental team wants to talk to you about replacing your missing teeth with dental implant supported dentures in Plano, TX. This tooth replacement option restores the roots of the tooth and the visible part of your smile for a closer-to-natural end result. For patients with dentures, that added stability may mean the difference between struggling with a limited diet and shifting smile and getting to speak and smile with confidence in every situation. If you’re interested in learning more about implant dentures or any of our other restorative options, call to schedule your tooth replacement consultation in our Plano dental office today.

Traditional Removable Dentures

Traditional tooth replacement options like bridges and dentures only replace the parts of your tooth that are visible above the gum line. That means your replacement tooth does not have the supportive structure it needs to remain stable. This can lead to irritated soft tissue due to the pressure and rubbing that occurs while chewing. Over time, the weight of a traditional denture causes the loss of healthy bone and jawbone tissue, leading to changes in facial shape that require your denture to be reshaped or replaced.

The Benefits of Dental Implant Supported Dentures

There are numerous benefits associated with implant supported dentures. Some of those that are most important to patients include:

• The improved stability of these prosthetics restores about 70% of healthy chewing function compared with just 10 to 20% improvement possible with a traditional partial or full denture.
• Many patients worry about the upfront investments of time and money that are required to complete implant supported denture treatment. However, that upfront cost is for a natural looking and feeling smile that will likely last the rest of your life unlike removable dentures that need to be replaced every five to ten years.
• Dental implants are better for your oral and overall health as well. By restoring the lost tooth roots, implant posts provide the necessary stimulation to maintain your gum tissue volume and jawbone density.

The Dental Implant Placement Process

Traditional dentures require us to take impressions of your whole smile that allow a dental lab to custom craft a denture that fits snuggly between your existing teeth or suctions to your gum line. An implant supported denture is a little different. The supportive base material is a little thinner and it contains connection points that will be attached to the dental implant posts. In order to create this natural structure, we first need to surgically place the dental implant posts. Most patients need three to six dental implant posts to support a partial or full denture. The surgical placement procedure is very straightforward. We make a small incision in the gums. Then, we place the implant post and attach a protective cap. This cap covers the implant site protecting it from foreign debris, and it also maintains the shape of the gums, so we can attach your denture. In most cases, we will provide a temporary denture to be worn as the implants fuse with the jawbone. This process can take three to six months, but once the implants have fused with your jaw, they will function just like natural tooth roots. Once the implants are fully fused, we’ll place your abutment posts and design your final denture. Then, you’ll return to our dental office one last time for us to fix the partial or full denture to your implants, and you can go back to sharing your beautiful smile with complete confidence for the rest of your life.

Caring for Your Dental Implant Denture

Once your implant denture is in place, you should treat it like your natural smile. The denture will look and feel like your healthy, natural teeth and you should treat it as such. Brush at least two minutes at a time twice a day to remove any stuck on food or plaque. While your denture is not necessarily going to decay like natural teeth it will be damaged by buildup of food and plaque. You may also want to consider using an antimicrobial mouth rinse and/or a water flosser to ensure you remove any plaque or tartar buildup at the gum line. Patients with implant supported tooth replacement are at risk for a type of gum disease referred to as periimplantitis. This is one of the leading causes of dental implant failure. During your regular dental checkups, our team will carefully examine your dental implants for signs of damage or infection. We will work with you to repair any concerns right away to avoid painful and costly oral health issues that can occur when your denture is not properly maintained. With proper care, your dental implant supported denture will last for two or more decades, and many patients keep the same implant retained restoration for the rest of their lives.