Upgrading Your Dentures to Dental Implants

Upgrading Your Dentures to Dental Implants

Traditional, removable dentures used to be the standard for replacing teeth when most or all of the teeth were missing. If you have worn dentures, or are still wearing them now, you are probably all too familiar with issues like sore gums, messy adhesives, or worse, adhesives that fail at the most inopportune moments. There can also be problems with eating and talking, both in terms of personal comfort, and general function of the dentures.

If you have heard about dental implants and are wondering what your options are for upgrading from dentures to implants, contact us at our Fairfax, VA dental practice and make an appointment to have your situation assessed. We use the most advanced Cone Beam CT scanning technology to quickly have a look at your mouth and jaw from every angle, and we can usually discuss your options with you on the same day.

One of the issues with adhesive-based dentures is that because they sit on the gums, there is no root to interact with the jaw bone underneath. Over time, this can cause the bone to deteriorate, which can lead to changes in the shape of your face and smile. With dental implants, a few titanium “roots” are placed into the bone. As the body heals from the procedure, the bone becomes fused to the implants, and afterward a bridge or denture can be fitted to the exposed bart of the implants. With an <a href="all-on-4 procedure, as few as four implants may be needed to support an entire arch of teeth.

If you’ve been curious about dental implants as an upgraded alternative to your current dentures, the sooner you come in for an assessment, the better. We can get you in for a scan and then speak to you about your options, and afterward you can decided how you want to proceed. The first and most important step is not to wait, as you want your jawbone in the best possible condition for placing the implants. Regardless of how long you’ve had your dentures, it is certainly worth coming in and getting a professional opinion about how to make your teeth more reliable and comfortable.