How Implant Supported Dentures Can Help You With Smiling, Eating and Speaking

Implant-supported dentures are one of those gifts that keep on giving. The improvements to your daily life are worth the exacting process of getting fixed, permanent dentures. Overdentures that have dental implant support are just as functional as natural teeth. Their benefits range from the cosmetic to the health of both the mouth and the body. Before diving into the different benefits of implant-supported dentures, it is a good idea to cover the basics.

Implant-supported dentures: basic information

Dentures have a base, a framework, and an arch of artificial crowns. Implant-supported dentures have the same structure, with a few differences.

Like regular dentures, implant-supported dentures have an acrylic base, which often has its very own metal base for reinforcement. This base has allowances for the screws or balls that attach to the connector that links the dentures and the implants. Lastly, the dentures have acrylic or porcelain crowns.

Screw-retained dental implants can only be removed by a dentist. They are the ideal option for the person who wants dentures that feel exactly like their old teeth. They are also more stable compared to removable overdentures, which usually connect to implants via studs, clips or ball-socket joints. Here are the ways that implant-supported dentures improve quality of life.

1. How implant-supported dentures improve the look of a smile

For starters, a set of dentures eliminates a smile that has gaps or no teeth at all. Dentures are custom-made to fit the shape and curvature of the wearer’s dental arches. The base of dentures hugs the gum line, creating a gum contour and smile line that looks natural and realistic.

A dentist will also take extra care to create a set of dentures that complement the facial structure of their patient. Dentures can upgrade a person’s looks by accentuating their best features. On this count, dentures could outperform natural teeth. They also fill out the areas around the cheeks, maintaining the fullness and definition of the lower mouth.

2. How implant-supported dentures help with eating and speaking

A permanent set of dentures eliminates the kind of slippage that people with removable dentures experience. They go one step further.

Dentists wait for the jawbone to heal around dental implants before they craft a permanent set of dentures. They take an impression of the new shape of the jaws and use it to create custom dentures that fit perfectly along the curvature of the dental arches. The resulting dentures make for a comfortable fit when they attach to the dental implants.

The happy result is dentures that sit in place and function just like natural teeth. Their wearer does not need to use their tongue and cheek muscles to keep the dentures in position as they talk or eat. They will not feel the soreness of ill-fitting dentures as they enjoy an apple or a juicy steak.

How implant-supported dentures maintain the health of the jaw

Bone tissue, including that of the jawbone, is constantly shedding calcium in a process known as resorption. To gain new minerals to replace the lost calcium, bone needs stimulation. This is why exercise and activity increase bone density as it builds muscle.

Tooth roots provide stimulation as a person chews, bites down or clenches their jaw. However, tooth loss leaves the jawbone without stimulation; so it starts to lose mass and density. 

A dental implant replaces the tooth root and stimulates the jaw as a person uses their dentures. The happy result is a full, healthy jaw that keeps the lower face looking young.

A permanent set of dentures can add color to your life

It is only after you enjoy a fully functional set of teeth that you will understand what you have been missing. The colors will seem more vibrant and birdsong will strike a special cord. Best of all, your favorite meals will be on the table again, as you share a great joke with friends.

Sounds good, yes? Get in touch to find out how implant-supported dentures can improve your quality of life. Our dentist will be happy to walk you through the process, step by step.

Request an appointment here: https://familydentistphoenix.com or call Phoenix Family Dentistry at (602) 547-9007 for an appointment in our Phoenix office.