According to recent CDC data, the prevalence of complete tooth loss in adults 65 and older was around 13%. Unfortunately, this prevalence increases with age, as common health issues in older adults can contribute to a lack of oral hygiene and an increased risk of infection. If you have lost all of your teeth, you have likely either used or considered traditional dentures. While initially effective, these prosthetics often become unstable, creating various problems that negatively affect your quality of life. For a more stable solution, we invite you to visit Bivona Family Dental in Jasper, AL! We offer innovative denture alternatives that use dental implants to stabilize your smile. With these implants in place, you can eat, speak, and live with the confidence that your teeth will stay exactly where they should: securely in your mouth!
Common Issues With Traditional Dentures
Traditional dentures are made to fit the contours of your mouth. Initially, these prosthetics fit well, relying on your lower jawbone and suction to the roof of your mouth for support. However, this fit will fade over time as your jawbone loses mass and volume. But why does this happen?
Natural teeth have roots that lie below the gum line and are embedded in your jawbone. These roots provide essential stimulation to keep your jaw healthy when you chew! Without them, your jawbone deteriorates (a process we call bone resorption). Unfortunately, traditional dentures don’t replace tooth roots, which means your bone will continue to lose its structure. With a shrinking support system, dentures become loose and shift around on your gums.
Loose dentures create various problems for patients, such as:
- Difficulty chewing: Traditional dentures help restore your ability to chew, but unstable prosthetics make eating difficult again. Tough meats and harder foods are more challenging to break down with loose dentures, as the force of your bite decreases. As a result, patients tend to adjust their diet, which can lead to nutritional issues.
- Gum irritation: Loose dentures are known for sliding around on your gums, shifting while you speak, laugh, or eat. This sensation irritates the gums, often leading to denture sores that make wearing your dentures painful.
- Social isolation: Due to the potential for embarrassing mishaps, such as loose dentures falling out, some patients may begin to avoid socializing.
- Bad breath: Because loose dentures no longer fit every contour of your mouth, they leave spaces where food can become stuck under the prosthetic. Food trapped under your denture can cause bad breath and increase your risk of infection.
Fortunately, Bivona Family Dental offers alternatives to traditional dentures that stay secure and keep your jawbone healthy!
Introducing Innovative Denture Alternatives
Dental implants are titanium posts that we place in the jawbone to support restorations, such as dentures. These titanium posts act as artificial tooth roots, stimulating your jaw while you chew. With dental implants, we can anchor your prosthetic and improve the health of your jaw!
The placement process for conventional dental implants is generally painless, as we use a local anesthetic to numb you. Once you’re comfortable, we will make an incision in your gums to gain access to the bone underneath. Then, we use a series of drills increasing in size to create a hole for the implant. After carefully screwing the implant body in place, we’ll stitch the gums back up to facilitate healing.
At Bivona Family Dental, we offer L-PRF, an innovative therapy that harnesses your body’s natural healing properties. After taking a small blood sample, we separate the layer of leukocyte-platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF) and create a clot made entirely of your body’s own materials. We then place this clot at the treatment site, where it releases healing agents that accelerate recovery and reduce post-op discomfort.
Once your gums have healed, we reopen the gums and place the abutment, a connector piece that connects your temporary restoration. In a few months, we’ll replace your temporary denture with your permanent one.
While traditional implants are time-tested, they require ample jawbone for support. Patients who have been missing teeth for quite some time may not have enough bone. While a bone graft can help, it adds to the cost and length of the procedure. For patients seeking a less invasive and more affordable alternative, mini dental implants are a great option. They typically eliminate the need for bone grafting and streamline the process, offering amazing benefits to patients like you!
Enjoy a Stable Smile With Denture Alternatives in Jasper, AL!
While total tooth loss is common among older adults, today’s innovative solutions offer greater comfort, security, and confidence. If you’re looking for more secure denture alternatives, visit Bivona Family Dental in Jasper, AL! We offer free implant consultations to determine the best method for restoring your smile. With our implant dentures, you can ensure that your smile will stay securely in place.
Ready for a better denture experience? Book a free implant consultation to learn if traditional or mini implants are right for you.
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