If you are unfortunately missing your natural teeth from a progressive dental condition or an unfortunate injury, you may want to research and review snap-in dentures as an option for your restoration solution. It is now a wonderful new combination of two technologies in providing the best treatment for you.
Unlike traditional dentures, which easily slip or slide out of place, snap-in dentures are terrifically more secure and stable during biting, chewing, and speaking.
Dental implants, which are tiny titanium screws or posts, are surgically placed into your jawbone to serve as anchors for the snap-in dentures. Only two to four implants are required for an arch, although depending on your specific situation, you may need more for a successful restoration.
After the dental implants have fused or bonded to your jawbone, an implant-retained or implant-supported denture, called an overdenture, will be strategically placed on the implants.
Again, depending on your particular situational preference, the overdenture will be secured to the implants with either a ball system or a bar system.
Are You a Candidate for Snap In Dentures?
If you are missing the majority of your teeth from dental cavities, gum disease, an injury, or age-related factors, you may want to consider snap-in dentures. There are no age limitations as an adult. This is also a better solution for you if you simply do not want to deal with the annoying hassles of conventional dentures.
The Benefits of Snap In Dentures
There are a variety of benefits associated with snap-in dentures when compared with conventional dentures. Here are a few common advantages:
- Snap-in dentures are considerably more stable than traditional dentures. They do not become loose while speaking.
- Snap-in dentures will maintain your natural chewing ability. You can once again eat harder foods.
- Relative to traditional dentures, snap-in dentures fit better and are also more comfortable. There is less friction on your gums when wearing a snap-in denture.
- You will also find snap-in dentures to be more natural looking than traditional dentures.
- Your jawbone integrity is maintained, and any further bone loss is prevented with snap-in dentures.
- Snap-in dentures will restore your healthy smile and your self-esteem.
- The life expectancy is considerably longer than traditional dentures.
Specifically, What is a Dental Implant?
A dental implant functions just like an artificial root. A tiny titanium screw is surgically placed in your jawbone in an identified, predetermined location. Titanium is most often used because it has properties that will enhance bonding to your natural bone. This natural process of bonding and fusing together is called osseointegration. After the tiny post and the jawbone have bonded an abutment or extension is added to reach the surface of your gumline. On this abutment will be placed the chosen locking mechanism for the snap in denture tray. The post, which now serves like a natural tooth root, provides the stability for the denture to withstand biting and chewing pressures. They are stable, secure, dependable, and have a long-life expectancy.
The Benefits of Using a Dental Implant
Dental implants offer some significant benefits including the following:
- Improved aesthetics- A dental implant helps maintain your natural smile, your natural jawline, and prevents any advanced, premature sagging of your face.
- An upgrade from conventional dentures- Once they are fused to your jawbone, dental implants are permanent. The implant functions as an artificial root providing natural biting, chewing, and speaking. It will also deliver necessary pressures to your jawbone and even temperature changes.
- Structural integrity- The pressures are absolutely imperative to maintain the integrity, density, and mass of your jawbone that you will not receive with conventional dentures.
- Overall oral health- Your gums will remain healthy because you will not be using denture adhesive, and you will still have the ability to continue to brush and floss normally.
The Snap In Dentures Procedure
The treatment is much the same no matter your age. The initial examination will determine if you have any other issues that need to be addressed first. If you have indeed lost jawbone density, then a bone graft may be necessary first. Once your bone density is considered normal the procedure begins. Even if you have osteoporosis, which causes brittle bones and bone loss, you are still a viable candidate. You may question the benefit of adding dental implants to your dentures at your age. Only you can prioritize the value of hassle-free dentures, enjoying your meals, your natural speech, and the overall comfort. Consider your quality of life and enjoy every single day.
Once the evaluation and the necessary x-rays have identified there is adequate jawbone density to support a dental implant, your dentist will deliver a local anesthetic to numb the immediate areas. A small incision is created for each implant to gain access to your jawbone to drill a small hole to insert the post. After several months of healing to allow the implants and the jawbone to fuse, bond, and grow together, this forms the strong and stable anchor or support for your snap-in dentures. Depending on your specific locking system, a second minor surgery might be needed to attach extensions or abutments to reach the surface of the gumline. Your custom snap in denture can now be secured. You now have a healthy restoration that favorably impacts your smile, self-esteem, and quality of life, no matter what your age may be.
While the implants are fusing to the jawbone, your dentist will provide a set of temporary dentures. When the implants are ready, a personal set of snap in dentures custom fabricated at a dental lab will be ready to affix to the abutments. The system for attaching the denture tray can be either a ball on each abutment or a bar across them all. There will be locking devices on the back side of the denture tray to line up with the abutments. You now have a restoration that snaps in, is secure, will not slip, but can still be removed.
Each procedure will vary ever so slightly depending on your specific needs.
The field of dentistry has become a unique combination of science, engineering, and art, and nowhere is this more evident than with this combination of a denture restoration and dental implant technology. You will quickly learn to embrace the aesthetics of this unique restoration.