Dentures are wonderful, and they have served millions of Americans for decades. They serve as a replacement for missing teeth, and they provide some ability to eat.
But they aren’t perfect. If you wear dentures, you know the frustrations that can come with wearing them.
If you are tired of dealing with those frustrations, you may want to consider dental implants. Our team at Dental Implants and Periodontology of Arizona has specialized in helping patients in and around Phoenix for decades.
We want to help you, too.
What are dental implants?
In simple terms, a dental implant is a replacement for a tooth.
To be more specific, the dental implant replaces the root or roots of your missing tooth or teeth.
The root of each tooth serves as an anchor. This anchor holds the tooth in your jawbone, keeping it secure as you go about your daily activities. If something should happen to damage your tooth, it may become loose, may fall out completely, or may need to be removed.
This can be the result of tooth decay damaging your tooth from the inside. This may be the result of a poor dental hygiene or a chip or crack that allows an infection to take hold in your teeth.
You can also lose your tooth due to severe gum disease. If your gums become infected, that can lead to damage of bone structure where your teeth are secured.
It’s also possible to lose a tooth in an instant. An injury while playing sports can cause your tooth to come out, as can household accidents, falls, or other unexpected collisions.
No matter the reason your tooth needs to be replaced, the dental implant (which is usually made of titanium) is placed into your jaw where the root once was. This serves as an artificial root for a crown, bridge, or dentures.
Advantages over traditional dentures
The biggest advantages of dental implants over dentures are security and stability.
Traditional dentures are held in place by an adhesive. Most of the time, this is fine, as long as you don’t mind the taste of the adhesive.
Unfortunately, the adhesive can also become loose with time. You may be eating only to find that next bite isn’t nearly as easy as the previous one. Your dentures could pop out at any time, and you probably have learned to avoid some foods entirely.
Adhesive-secured dentures don’t just pop out during meals, however. If you’ve been wearing dentures for a decent amount of time, you may have felt them come loose in the middle of a conversation.
It’s easy to laugh this off when you are speaking to friends and family. It may not seem as funny if you are meeting someone for work or talking to a salesperson while you are shopping.
Dental implants can correct those issues for the long term, and you will find that foods you have been avoiding can return to your plate.
Implants can serve as the foundation for partial dentures (or bridges) or full arches. First, they are secured in your jaw, meaning they are held firmly in place by your jawbone. Second, your new dentures are attached to the abutments on the ends of the implants, instead of with an adhesive.
Working together with your primary dentist, we can create a bridge or full arch that gives you back you chewing power and won’t come loose the next time you are chatting in line at the grocery.
Types of implants
Our own Dr. Komarnyckyj is a board-certified surgical implant specialist.
Our All-on-4 and All-on-6 dental implants will permanently secure your new dentures in your mouth. (The All-on-4 uses four implants inserted into your jaw. All-on-6 uses six implants.)
These are among the most secure types of dental implants. If you are looking for the next best thing to natural teeth, this may be exactly what you want.
If you prefer dentures that are more secure than ones held in place with an adhesive, but still removable, we offer implant-supported and implant-retained dentures.
Either way, you can feel more confident about your dentures staying in place when they are attached to dental implants. If you have avoided popcorn, nuts, and steak, then you can look forward to enjoying them and many of your other favorite foods again.
Set up your free consultation
We know dental implants are a big decision, and we want to make sure you understand the benefits if you decide to get them. That’s why we offer a free consultation for any patient who is considering dental implants.
To learn more about how Dental Implants and Periodontology of Arizona can help you, call us at 602-842-6841 or fill out our online form to schedule an appointment.
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