Traditional dentures have a long history of successfully replacing teeth and restoring smiles. However, did you know that they only replace part of your tooth? Your natural teeth have two parts of their main structure: the crown above the gum line and the root below! While you chew with the crowns of your teeth, your tooth’s root stimulates your jawbone below the gums. Stimulation is vital to the health of your jawbone, as it helps maintain its structure and density. However, this stimulation is gone when you lose a tooth, resulting in bone resorption. The loss of bone mass and volume makes replacing teeth with traditional dentures difficult, as they rely on your jawbone for stability! Unstable dentures can have unfortunate consequences for patients, but fortunately, Bivona Family Dental offers more stable denture options with dental implants.
Understanding Dental Implants
Dental implants are titanium posts we place into the jawbone to support restorations like dentures! At Bivona Family Dental, we offer two types of dental implants.
Traditional Dental Implants
Traditional dental implants are the larger of the two implants, as they are about 5 millimeters in diameter. They also consist of multiple pieces held together by an implant screw. To place traditional implants, we first make an incision in your gums to access the jawbone underneath. Then, using a series of drills increasing in size, we make a hole about the size of the implant.
After carefully screwing the implant body into place, we stitch your gums up for a period of 3-6 months. This healing period, however, can be sped up with our innovative L-PRF technology, which utilizes your own biomaterial to facilitate faster healing! Once your implant is secure, we place your abutment (the connector piece) and take impressions to create your final denture.
When your final restoration arrives, we place it on your implants to provide you with a beautiful and functional smile! Because dental implants act as artificial tooth roots, they help maintain your jawbone health when you bite or chew, creating a healthier and more stable smile.
Mini Dental Implants
Mini dental implants are much smaller than traditional implants, as they are less than 3 millimeters. These narrow-diameter implants also feature a one-piece design, making them sleeker and less complex. To place mini implants, we don’t need to use any incisions or stitches. Instead, we make a small pilot hole in your gums and jawbone, about the size of your implant.
After gently screwing the implant into place, they are instantly secure enough to support a temporary restoration! Their threaded design and minimally invasive procedure preserve your surrounding gums and bone, allowing for much faster healing. Additionally, their smaller size makes them more accessible to people with less available bone structure!
Because tooth loss results in bone resorption, many people don’t have enough jawbone to get traditional dental implants. While a bone graft replenishes lost bone, it adds to both the procedure’s length and price. Mini implants, however, need much less bone for us to place. Even if you are not eligible for a conventional implant without a bone graft, you are often still eligible for a mini implant!
At your consultation, we perform a thorough dental exam and take a 3D image to determine your bone density and availability. From there, we can discuss which implant option is right for you!
Mini Dental Implant Denture Options
At Bivona Family Dental, we focus on patient-centered solutions that put your needs first. While we will use conventional implants if necessary, we prefer to use mini implants for all of the wonderful benefits they offer patients like you. We provide three distinct denture options that use mini implants to secure your smile.
-
A Snap-on denture supported by 6 dental implants Snap-on denture: This denture uses the pink base that traditional dentures do but with important alterations. Instead of relying on the jawbone, the base has strategically placed holes that click onto mini dental implants we place in your jawbone. With the support of mini implants, we can remove the bulky upper plate that blocks key tastebuds, allowing you to smile comfortably and fully taste your food again!
- Semi-removable denture: As the name suggests, this denture is only partially removable. While you never remove this denture, we will remove it at routine checkups to perform cleanings and maintenance. Because of the added support, we can also remove the pink base and only use it for lip support if you need it. Using mini implants, we provide semi-removable dentures for a functional and beautiful smile.
- Non-removable denture: A non-removable denture is never taken off of your implants. After cementing this restoration in place, it provides incredible stability and function while offering a beautiful appearance. This denture is stable enough to eat all the foods you used to eat with your natural teeth without worry and doesn’t require any pink base. If you want a natural-looking smile that functions like your natural teeth, this is the denture option for you!
Stabilize Your Smile With Our Implant-Retained Denture Options!
If you desire stable denture options that replace your whole tooth’s structure, implant-retained dentures may be the right choice for you. While we provide traditional and mini dental implants, mini implants offer incredible benefits for our patients. With our patient-focused treatments, you can trust Bivona Family Dental to care for your smile!
Book a free implant consultation at Bivona Family Dental today to better understand how we can secure your smile with mini implants.
Bivona Family Dental posts informational videos on their Facebook. Follow along to learn more!
