Implants & Dentures (Tooth replacement)

There are multiple options for Dentures and Partials with implants.  Implants can benefit both lower and upper dentures.  As many people have experienced, lower Dentures present the biggest challenge for most people.    These challenges are due to the lack of surface area for the denture to sit on, the mobility of the gum tissue that moves when chewing and talking and the loss of bone that happens over time when people have no teeth.  Thus, for many people after 5 to 10 years of wearing dentures things get worse and worse with time.

Implants are the way to improve the quality of life for a denture wearer.  Implants promote stability and retention of the denture. Here is a brief but not complete outline of the number of implants that can be placed and the expected benefits.

Number of Implants with Denture Teeth:

• 2 Implants – Denture is removable, sits on gums and is slightly mobile.  It is very stable and can be removed with light finger pressure.

• 4 Implants and a Bar – Denture is removable, sits mostly on the bar, does NOT move and takes medium pressure to dislodge the denture from the bar.

• 5 Implants or more – This situation can allow for teeth to NOT be removed by the patient, has NO mobility or movement and does not sit on the gums at all.

There are many variations to the above outline and each patient in our office is analyzed with proper X rays, possible digital CT scan, properly used soft wear and a highly trained Dentist.  All of these are things in which Dr. Chilton has vast experience.