Find out how Implant Dentures can Preserve your Jawbone

implant dentures can preserve jawboneMiami and Coral Gables, FL

For years, replacing lost teeth meant getting dentures. Dentures remain widely used for a reason—they work, and they’re more affordable than other means of tooth replacement. However, dentures do nothing to address one otherwise inevitable consequence of living with tooth loss: jawbone loss. Your restorative dentists at Miami Designer Smiles want to educate you on why people with lost permanent teeth experience bone deterioration, and how implant dentures—not regular dentures—could be the solution.

Why do people with missing teeth experience bone loss?

When you have a mouth full of healthy teeth, the supporting bone structure is receiving constant stimulation, which stimulates new growth over the old bone. This stimulation comes from the biting forces that are exerted during normal chewing, and also from the tooth roots. When you lose a tooth, this stimulation goes away. This slows the rate of new bone growth and eventually leads the body to begin a process called resorption—which is when the body absorbs bone from the area where that tooth resided so that those materials can be used elsewhere in the body. This resorption affects both the density and volume of the affected area of the jawbone.

Traditional dentures do nothing to address this problem. This is even true for modern custom dentures. In fact, dentures actually can accelerate the rate of bone loss, because the pressure of the dentures resting against the bony ridge of your mouth. Eventually, your set of dentures may not fit well at all due to a significant amount of jawbone loss.

Implant dentures can be your solution to bone loss

What makes implant dentures different from traditional or custom dentures? They are supported by dental implants. Rather than rely on a separate implant to replace each individual lost tooth (which would be too timely and expensive for almost any patient with the type of significant tooth loss that would require dentures), implant dentures consist of an arch of replacement teeth that are supported by implants placed at strategic locations in the mouth. When placed, these implants serve as a deterrent to bone loss, because the implants themselves are inserted surgically into the jawbone. Once installed, these implants provide the same sort of constant stimulation that came from the roots of your missing teeth. Implant dentures also look and feel more like real teeth, and are more stable, meaning they won’t slip or shift in your mouth.

Implant dentures in Miami

Are you interested in learning more about implant dentures? Drs. Raul Garcia and Dr. Conchi Sanchez-Garcia, implant dentists in Miami, have experience working with this method of tooth replacement, even for patients that were previously told they were not good candidates for dental implants. Whether you choose implant dentures, custom dentures, or dental implants, we believe that the most important thing when it comes to replacing teeth is to choose one of these options. Living with tooth loss affects your nutrition, your self-esteem, and even can threaten the other healthy teeth in your mouth. Find out more about dental implants or implant dentures by calling (305) 595-4616 to schedule a consultation with Miami Designer Smiles today if you live in the areas of Miami and Coral Gables, Florida.