Dentures in Sonora, CA
Estimates indicate that nearly a quarter of adults worldwide are experiencing complete tooth loss. In America alone, 36 million people and counting have lost all their teeth. For those looking to replace a complete set of upper or lower teeth, dentures have always been a tried-and-true option. However, these prosthetics come with their fair share of drawbacks, from shifting in the mouth to causing oral health issues. Luckily, there is a modern solution that makes the problems of traditional dentures a thing of the past.
Dr. Berger in Sonora, CA, recommends implant dentures secured by mini dental implants. These implant-supported restorations are a major upgrade from the traditional models, offering a combination of stability, natural look and feel, and affordability. They are also remarkably simple and straightforward to place, allowing you to have your new implants installed in just one day! Before determining the best option for your needs, it’s important to understand how dentures work and the models available.
The Importance of Replacing Missing Teeth
Traditional dentures have been in use for a very long time, replacing missing teeth to restore function and aesthetic appeal to your smile.
One of the most important functions of dentures is to help with chewing food, which in turn aids digestion. Missing teeth make it difficult to break down certain foods, like fresh produce or tough proteins. These prosthetics enable you to chew your food more effectively and enjoy a more varied diet!
Speech is another aspect of life that becomes more challenging when teeth are missing. Gaps in your teeth can lead to unwanted lisps and other articulation problems. Replacing those missing teeth restores your confidence and makes it easier for others to understand you.
Additionally, tooth loss has unfortunate effects on your overall oral health. Gaps left by missing teeth are more susceptible to infection, which leads to gum disease if left untreated. Spaces between teeth also cause your remaining teeth to move and shift, leading to a misaligned bite. By filling the gaps in your smile, dentures help to maintain your oral health.
At Sonora Dentist, Dr. Berger recognizes that every situation is unique, so he’ll work with you to tailor a treatment plan to your exact needs!
Types of Dentures
Denture options typically fall into one of three categories: traditional, partial, and implant dentures.
Traditional Dentures
Often called “full” or “complete” dentures, these are the prosthetic teeth that come to mind when you imagine a set of teeth soaking in a glass on your grandma’s nightstand. They are removable and work as a replacement for an entire set of upper or lower teeth. However, despite being a long-standing solution to the problem of missing teeth, they have their drawbacks.
Traditional dentures don’t look as natural as other restorative options and don’t offer the same stability or chewing power either. They are molded to sit on the gum for support, but will need to be adjusted over time with denture relines to maintain a proper fit.
Without relines, you risk loose dentures, which can both slip out of your mouth and irritate your gums. Messy adhesives can help with loose dentures to an extent, but they add another cost and hassle to the traditional denture experience.
Partial Dentures
Partial dentures work with your remaining natural teeth to bridge the gap in your smile. They attach to your natural teeth with metal clasps and are removable just like full dentures. However, partial dentures suffer the same problems as traditional prosthetics in terms of stability, durability, fit, and function.
While traditional and partial dentures have been a workable solution in the past, there’s no denying they come with drawbacks. If you’re looking for the most stable and effective tooth replacement solution available, we recommend implant dentures using mini dental implants!
Implant Dentures: The Superior Choice
Implant dentures provide incredible stability, a natural look, and excellent function. Using mini dental implants to secure these prosthetics, Dr. Berger offers a reliable tooth replacement method that improves your ability to eat and speak with confidence. Because dental implants anchor directly into your jawbone, implant dentures provide a more natural look and feel, resembling your natural smile.
At Sonora Dentist, implant-retained dentures come in both removable and non-removable options.
Overdentures
Also known as “snap-on” dentures, overdentures are the closest option in both appearance and function to traditional dentures. Overdentures have a durable gum base that snaps onto 4-8 mini implants instead of resting on your gums. These implants provide great stability, securing into your jaw while maintaining removability for easy cleaning.
If your existing traditional dentures are in good enough shape, we can sometimes convert them into overdentures! These prosthetics offer an excellent solution for individuals on a budget seeking a secure solution.
Roundhouse Bridges
While technically bridges, roundhouse bridges serve as dentures because they replace your entire smile! The purpose of a roundhouse dental bridge is to replace an entire arch with enhanced stability and a sleek design. Made from Zirconia, the strongest tooth replacement material available, these prosthetic teeth provide unparalleled strength and stability.
Roundhouse bridges typically don’t require a gum base unless your lips need extra support, and are available in both semi-removable and non-removable options.
- The semi-removable option, Fix-on-Six®, attaches with 6-10 mini implants and is only removed by Dr. Berger at a professional cleaning. The Fix-on-Six® system is an upgrade to the older All-on-4® model, which utilizes large conventional implants. By using mini implants instead, you save on both time and money!
- The non-removable option is the most stable and durable denture available, closely mirroring the appearance, sensation, and function of your natural teeth. Dr. Berger cements this denture in place using 10-12 mini implants, and it requires similar maintenance to your natural teeth.
Each of these options provides a superior fit, function, and durability compared to traditional dentures, due to the numerous advantages offered by mini dental implants!
Secure Your Smile With Dr. Berger in Sonora, CA
If you’re frustrated with the challenges of missing teeth or tired of dealing with your ill-fitting denture, Dr. Berger has a solution. At our dental practice in Sonora, CA, Dr. Berger uses mini dental implants to secure your denture, restoring your confidence and quality of life! At your free consultation, he will discuss your denture options with you and help create a treatment plan for your smile.
If you’re ready to take the first step on the journey to better health, schedule your consultation at Sonora Dentist today!
Frequently Asked Questions
With traditional dentures, certain foods can be challenging for patients to eat. As these prosthetics loosen over time, they lose the ability to break down food, sometimes resulting in drastic changes to your diet. Tough meats, hard vegetables, and crunchy nuts can become impossible to chew, or even painful for some patients!
Fortunately, implant dentures secure your smile in place, providing incredible stability. With implant dentures, you can eat most of the foods you’ve been missing out on, with very few restrictions. While overdentures may struggle to break down some tougher foods, non-removable roundhouse bridges closely mimic the function of your natural teeth, allowing you to eat without hesitation!
Traditional dentures are notorious for loosening over time.
This is because dentures rely on your jawbone for support, which deteriorates over time after tooth loss. Natural teeth have important roots that stimulate your jawbone to maintain the health of your jaw. When you lose teeth, you lose these roots, resulting in bone resorption. The loss of bone mass and volume creates an unstable foundation for dentures, leading to a loose fit.
Bottom traditional dentures are especially vulnerable to ill-fit, as they rely solely on your jaw for stability. While upper dentures suction to the roof of your mouth for stability, lower dentures rely completely on your shifting jaw for support.
However, dental implants replace tooth roots, both preventing bone resorption and keeping your smile secure!
The price of denture restorations depends on how many teeth you need to replace and what method you use.
Partial traditional dentures are the least expensive denture model, as they replace fewer teeth and don’t have additional components like dental implants.
Overdentures are the least expensive implant denture option, as they use the fewest implants. Non-removable roundhouse bridges are the most expensive, as they use the most dental implants for security.
However, the more implants we place, the more stable the restoration. For many patients, the reliable stability and incredible function of mini-implant dentures are worth the investment in your smile.
Additionally, we offer flexible financing solutions to help break down your cost into manageable monthly payments!
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