If you’re among the over 120 million Americans who are missing at least one tooth, you are all too aware that losing the tooth is the first major trauma, quickly followed by the decision of how to replace it.
Fortunately, gone are the days when traditional dentures were the only treatment option. Today’s patients enjoy several teeth replacement options using more natural-looking materials than ever before.
In this blog, Dr. Cliff Broschinsky at Avalon Dental in San Ramon, California, unpacks a treatment option called implant-supported dentures.
A good place to begin this topic is with a quick review of what dental implants are and how the treatment process plays out.
Since the 1980s when the first titanium implants emerged in the dental market, dental implants have gained increasing popularity as the go-to for replacing missing teeth for adult patients and dental providers alike.
Why? Dental implants are essentially the ultimate do-over — the next best thing to natural teeth.
Here’s the way the implant process works.
Dr. Broschinsky performs a thorough examination and a series of X-rays, if needed, to determine the health of your jawbone tooth roots. If he deems you to be a good candidate for dental implants, the treatment process begins.
Dr. Broschinsky administers a local anesthetic and then surgically installs a metal post or screw into the socket of each missing tooth. This metal post mimics the role of the original tooth’s roots. Over the course of the next several months, the post heals or fuses to the jawbone.
Once the healing process completes, you return to our office where Dr. Broschinsky mounts a custom crown onto the metal post, essentially creating an artificial tooth that is color-matched to neighboring teeth, so much so that you’ll almost forget which is which.
Continue to brush and floss daily, and visit us for your checkups and professional cleanings. You’ll be smiling for many years to come.
Implant-supported dentures tap into the stability and strong foundation that dental implants provide and team that up with custom-made dentures. With this option, instead of the dentures resting on gum tissue, they are securely anchored using dental implants.
That’s right: You can say goodbye to comfort concerns or slipping-and-sliding issues. The implant-supported dentures treatment process is like getting dental implants.
Once Dr. Broschinsky confirms that your gums and jawbone are healthy and can support a dental implant, the treatment process begins.
He surgically places dental implants to anchor dentures to the jawbone. He determines the number of dental implants needed to provide a strong foundation by the location of the treatment area.
The lower jawbone is much harder than the upper jawbone, so it requires fewer implants to get the job done.
Once the healing process completes, Dr. Broschinsky takes an impression or mold of your mouth and does color matching. He sends this data to a dental lab, where professional denturists fabricate your custom dentures.
When your dentures are ready, you return to the office for your final appointment, during which Dr. Broschinsky attaches the dentures to the implants.
By blending the best characteristics of modern custom dentures with dental implants, patients with missing teeth gain the benefits of both treatment options.
They get the natural-looking beauty and durability of modern dentures without having to worry about fit and comfort issues or slipping concerns when speaking, chewing or eating. And you can forget about those gooey denture adhesives.
With implant-supported dentures, you get back to enjoying all your favorite foods without a worry in the world. If you have missing teeth and want to learn if implant-supported dentures are right for you, contact us at Avalon Dental in San Ramon, California, for a consultation.
Call our office or request an appointment via our online booking tool today. Dr. Broschinsky and our skilled, friendly team are ready to help you discover the best teeth replacement options to meet your goals.
