Permanent Dentures
Permanent dentures are an increasingly popular means of replacing most or all of one’s teeth. A tried-and-true method that has been available since the 1960s, permanent dentures are safe, durable, and functional… and they look good, too!
Permanent dentures can be an excellent alternative to the uncomfortable conventional dentures that your parents or grandparents may have used. Why use a limited, dated technology when a better, more modern alternative exists?
Permanent Dentures versus Conventional Dentures
Conventional dentures tend to be big, bulky, uncomfortable and unpredictable because they rely upon simple gravity and sticky dental adhesives to hold them (dubiously) in place. This means that they can move around when it’s least convenient – while eating and talking tend to be the most common times – and this can lead not only to social embarrassment but also difficulty eating and enjoying one’s food. Because their strength comes from the appliance itself, and not from a structural point of support in the mouth, their function is quite limited, and those that use conventional dentures must limit the foods they eat so that their new prosthetics can handle them.
Permanent dentures, on the other hand, are anchored firmly into the jawbone itself, which is what provides their incredible strength and functionality. The traditional structure of the dental implants that retain permanent dentures mimic that of one’s natural teeth, creating a streamlined set of prosthetic teeth that look – and function – just like the teeth they are built to replace.
Components of Permanent Dentures
The first and most structurally key component of permanent dentures is a tiny little post, typically made of titanium. While it may not look like much, this thin metal alloy is the piece that is embedded into the jawbone below the surface of the gumline, where it is then left to meld and become one with the jawbone itself. This is the structural cornerstone of the dental implant, which can hold anything from a single prosthetic crown to an entire arch of permanent dentures.
The second component of permanent dentures is a connecting piece called the abutment. This is what connects to both the implant fixture and the dental prosthesis that it holds.
The third and final component of permanent dentures is the denture itself; the prosthetic teeth that often have a small amount of acrylic to allow the appliance to blend in with the gumline.
Process of Creating Permanent Dentures
Before permanent dentures can be installed, your dentist will perform a thorough oral exam and will likely also take x-rays. The x-rays will help determine how much healthy bone mass is available in the jaw; this is an important consideration in the placement of dental implants, as one must have enough healthy bone mass into which to implant the implant fixture.
If enough bone tissue is not available, you may have to undergo bone grafting to stimulate bone growth ahead of the procedure.
In cases where enough healthy bone mass is already present, your dentist or oral surgeon will first embed the implant fixture into the jaw. The top of the fixture will remain below the gumline, which will then be stitched up and allowed to heal for 2-6 months. During this time, the implant fixture will become part of the jawbone and begin to function much like the roots of one’s teeth, stimulating bone growth, maintaining the overall health of the jaw, and providing structural support to the prosthetic teeth that it will soon support.
Once this process of osseointegration has taken place, the abutment is then attached to the implant fixture blow the gumline (if a healing cuff wasn’t placed at the time the implant fixture was installed, as is sometimes the case). Once the soft tissues have healed following this procedure, which happens in much shorter order than the melding of the implant fixture with the jawbone, the dentures can then be attached to the abutment and the process is finished.
Types of Permanent Dentures
Permanent dentures get their name from the permanent nature of the dental implants that are installed in one’s mouth to support them. However, the dentures themselves can be made to be either fixed (i.e. permanent) or removable, depending on individual preference.
Removable permanent dentures must be removed at night and soaked in a cleaning solution to keep them fresh and clean. Some find that they prefer to remove their teeth at night, and some also enjoy the added benefit that if their dentures require any kind of repair at any point in time, those repairs can be done outside of the mouth, in a dental laboratory.
Others prefer the set-it-and-forget-it ease of wear of fixed permanent dentures. Because they are cemented firmly in place, they cannot be removed. Taking care of these permanent dentures is as easy as simply brushing and flossing one’s teeth. While this can make repairs somewhat more complicated, it can also greatly improve sleep for those who struggle with sleep apnea or other related conditions, and some find that it improves their quality of life to not have to fiddle with soaking and cleaning their dentures at night.
Benefits of Permanent Dentures
In addition to better function and appearance than that offered by conventional dentures, permanent dentures are characterized by a number of other benefits.
Permanent dentures can lead to more thorough enjoyment of food. Not only can one eat a wider range of foods with permanent dentures, but also, permanent dentures do not cover up the soft palate like conventional dentures do, creating a block to important taste receptors.
In addition to the fact that permanent dentures are comfortable and attractive, they can also help maintain one’s appearance by preserving existing bone and staving off bone loss. This helps to preserve facial structure, reduces the creation of wrinkles around the mouth, and also works against the sunken in look that conventional dentures can help create.
All in all, permanent dentures are an excellent, easy to maintain, durable solution to tooth loss that is far superior to that provided by conventional dentures. What are you waiting for? Give our office a call today for more information on how permanent dentures could change your life!