Implant Supported Dentures vs Conventional Dentures
It is very easy to see people who have lost their confidence due to missing one, more or even all of their teeth. These people often feel embarrassed and hesitate to laugh in front of other people. Undoubtedly, a beautiful smile gives self-confidence and contributes not only to the external appearance of the person, but also to the improvement of his mood and psychology.
What Are Dentures and What Types Are There?
Dentures are removable or fixed prosthetics that replace missing teeth. They are divided into complete, partial and overlay (on implants) dentures. We all know that in edentulous (toothless) people, a change in their facial features is observed after some time. For example, there is a reduction in the vertical dimension of the face, a narrowing of the mouth opening, a change in the position of the lips and, in general, a muscle weakness around the oral cavity. And all this because losing the teeth, over time, resorption of the jawbones is also observed and thus there is no proper supporting base for the facial muscles. This unfortunately results in the person appearing much older than they actually are, which can have a significant impact on both their psychology and even their socialization. For this reason, before all these changes even occur, when we remove several or even all teeth, their restorations (either with dentures or with implants) should be done as quickly as possible, and not after several years. In this way, the alteration of the facial features will be avoided, but also in the event that we choose implants as a solution, the absorption of the jawbones will be avoided, which in the second year will be an inhibiting factor for restoration with implants.
There are three types of dentures:
* Complete dentures
* The partial dentures
* On – board (on-implant) dentures
Complete Dentures
Complete dentures (dentures) are those that are used when all the teeth of the upper or lower jaw or both are missing. They consist of a pink colored acrylic base which is a simulation of the gums, on which the acrylic teeth are attached. These are manufactured by the dental technician based on special measurements and impressions taken by the dentist.
Complete dentures are a fairly economical solution for completely edentulous patients. i.e. ideal for patients who have lost all their teeth. They contribute significantly to the self-confidence of edentulous patients both by improving their facial image and by helping them during the chewing process.
However, complete dentures have one major drawback. They quite often present problems with their retention and stability, as a result of which they create several problems both in terms of speech, nutrition and also the self-confidence of the people who use them, as it creates intense anxiety and insecurity. For these reasons, they should be the last resort in the choices of toothless patients.
Some Dentures​
Partial dentures are dentures that replace missing teeth and rest on top of natural teeth. Their support on the existing teeth is done with special links or hooks. Partial dentures are an economical solution in cases where several teeth are missing on either side of the jaws.
Implant-Supported Dentures
In recent years, the development of dental science has now established the daily use of dental implants. Dental implants are widely used to replace teeth that have been lost. But dental implants can also be used to support complete dentures. Implant-supported dentures are dentures that are supported by implants and are a reliable alternative solution, with many advantages over conventional full dentures. Overdentures show increased retention and stability, compared to conventional full dentures. This has a significant impact on both improving the patient’s lifestyle and self-confidence. The patient notices a substantial improvement both during the process of chewing and speaking, as he no longer has to deal with the problem of mobility and instability of the complete denture. This has a very positive effect on his psychology and makes him much more social and active. The number of implants required to retain a full denture is usually four for the upper jaw and at least two for the lower jaw. The implants are connected to the dentures either with ligaments or with a special beam. The patient can remove the denture himself whenever he wishes in order to clean it as well as the implants that hold it. Another very important advantage of the method is the preservation of the jawbone around the area where the implants have been placed. In the corresponding conventional complete dentures, over the years, a significant resorption of the jawbone is observed, which has the consequence that the denture can no longer be held as the alveolar ridge has flattened. Thus, many patients end up having as their only solution the use of a special retention glue in order to manage to keep the dentures stable in the mouth. The technique of overdentures supported by implants has really changed the lives of all those people who use full dentures, as it offers them safety and confidence when it comes to the retention and stability of their dentures, which improves both mastication their ability as well as their speech. With the above options depending on each case and with the right guidance from the dentist, the patient can choose which type of denture best suits and meets his own needs.