North Haven Implant Overdentures
If you wear traditional dentures, you know that it’s only suction that holds your teeth in your mouth. As a result, when you chew or talk, your dentures might slip loose, which is stressful and embarrassing. You can buy denture adhesives, and they can help to some degree. But for patients who have suffered total tooth loss, the best option is implant overdentures.
An implant overdenture is held in place by roots made of titanium that bond with your jawbone. This bond ensures unparalleled stability. Implant-based dentures restore your bite strength so you can eat juicy steaks and crisp apples. They never come loose.
Traditional dentures cover your entire hard palate; it’s essential for maintaining suction. Overdentures rely entirely on implants for stability, so nothing is covering the roof of your mouth or putting pressure on your gum tissue. Unlike traditional dentures, implant overdentures don’t cause mouth sores.
To be a candidate for implant overdentures, you need to be in good general health. Your mouth must be healthy, too, without periodontal disease.
Preventing Bone Loss with Implant Overdentures
The roots of your teeth are held in place by the bone in your jaw. Suppose you lose your teeth and don’t replace them. In that case, your body will begin to efficiently reuse the minerals in your jawbone, directing them to where they are needed more. As a result, your jawbone will shrink steadily over time. Periodically, you’ll need to have your removable dentures relined, so they still fit. Every 5 to 8 years, you’ll need new dentures. If you lose too much bone, you might not be able to wear any kind of denture.
The only way to interrupt this process is to implant new tooth roots. Once they are in place, they will prevent further loss of jawbone. When there isn’t enough remaining bone to support implants, we can build up your jaw with bone grafts.
Types of Overdenture
Some overdentures are not removable, so you’ll never have to take your teeth out. One type is anchored by six or eight implants, making it stable and protecting your entire jaw from bone loss.
We can also place overdentures on four implants. They feel as natural and stable dentures held by six or eight implants but have a key advantage for some patients. All-on-4 dentures are a good option for patients with bone loss from the jaw, reducing or eliminating the need for bone grafts. By placing the root forms at an angle, we can achieve excellent stability with fewer.
You can opt for Snap-On dentures to get the benefits of implant-retained dentures on a smaller budget. They are held by only two implants, so they’re not as stable as other overdentures. However, they’re still much more secure than traditional dentures. They will not slide out of position or detach when you eat or talk.
The Overdenture Process
At Nova Dental, many of our doctors have advanced training in placing implants. Dr. Ijaz completed a mini residency in implantology at NYU and has advanced endodontics training. We also have a board-certified prosthodontist, Dr. Dengelegi, and a board-certified oral surgeon, Dr. Abunasra. Together, we’ll create a new smile that you love.
It takes time to restore a smile with implant overdentures. First, we will carefully examine your mouth and take digital x-rays. Then, if you need bone grafts, we will surgically implant them and allow them to heal before proceeding. It can take several months for bone grafts to fully heal.
The next step is surgically placing the root forms in your jaw. These new roots will take a few months to heal too. When that’s done, you will come back to our office, and we will affix your new overdenture to the implant roots. You will leave our office feeling like you have your own teeth again.
If you would like implant overdentures, please call us at (203) 234-3900, and we will schedule you for an evaluation. You can also fill out this form, and we will call you.