What are Implant Dentures?

Find out how dental implants can keep your dentures in place.

Whether you are still deciding how to replace your missing teeth or you already have dentures, you may be wondering whether dental implants may actually provide you with the peace of mind you’re looking for to feel confident in your new smile. After all, it can take time to get used to false teeth, particularly dentures. Fortunately, our Fresno, CA, implant dentist, Dr. Alexander Pritsky, makes it easy for patients to feel like they have natural teeth again thanks to implant-supported dentures.

So, what does an implant-supported denture look like?

It’s important to first understand a dental implant and how it functions in order to understand how it will support your set of false teeth. An implant is a small tapered metal post, often made from titanium, that our Fresno, CA, dentist will surgically embed into the jawbone.

If you are just replacing a single tooth then we will place the implant in the jawbone where the tooth once was; however, if you are getting implants to support full dentures, this means that we are replacing all of your teeth. In this case, multiple implants are placed throughout the arches of the jawbone in order to hold the dentures in place.

What is the implant process like?

As we mentioned earlier, to receive implants, we will need to perform surgery in order to place the metal prosthetic into the jawbone. This surgery is minor, performed under local anesthesia, and can take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, depending on how many implants are being placed. In some cases, four implants are sufficient for supporting full dentures.

Once the implants are inserted into the jawbone, we will need to give your mouth enough time to fully heal. During the healing phase, the bone and tissue will also heal around the implant and fuse together with it to become a permanent structure. Over the course of 3-6 months, the implant and jawbone will become one.

Now that the implant and jawbone are fused together, we can secure your dentures. There are two ways to place dentures onto the implants: bar-retained or ball-retained.

• For bar-retained dentures, a metal bar is attached to the implants along the jawbone and then clips are attached to the bar to secure the dentures in place.
• For ball-retained dentures, there is a ball-shaped metal attachment on the top of the implant in which the sockets of the dentures snap into. This ensures that the dentures don’t move around while you’re wearing them but can still be removed at night before going to bed.

Interested? Give us a call

If you are currently feeling unsatisfied with your dentures and want to find out if dental implants could provide you with a more confident smile, then call our Fresno, CA, office today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Pritsky. Dial (559) 298-3900 today!