Slippery dentures have been a comedy staple for decades. From “Looney Tunes” to “The Simpsons,” animators have had plenty of fun showing them popping out at the worst moments: breaking on hard food, snapping at ankles, or ending up in an animal’s mouth. Amusing or not, many denture wearers know these scenarios all too well. In real life, such mishaps often happen when dentures lack proper denture stabilization.
Dr. Rose Magno (DDS, FAACD, FICOI, DIAMDI) has been helping patients in the Bay Area stabilize their dentures and other restorations for years. She’s here to make sure your dentures don’t get up to any funny business.
Are Unstable Dentures a Problem?
Traditional dentures are sufficient for some people. But over time, they tend to shift and loosen. When this happens, they can slide around, causing sores to develop on your gums. Many wearers also find them bulky and uncomfortable, and worries about dentures slipping or appearing unnatural can lead to self-consciousness. Unfortunately, many denture wearers hesitate to eat, smile, or laugh in public.
These challenges typically stem from a few key issues with traditional dentures:
- Denture instability
- Chewing difficulties
- Speaking challenges
- Bite force limitations
- Denture adhesive dependence
So if you’re unhappy with your traditional dentures, what can be done?
How Does Denture Stabilization Work?
Dr. Magno can help stabilize dentures that otherwise slip and loosen using dental implants. She gently positions the titanium posts into your jaw to form a foundation for the denture. But the issue with traditional dental implants is that, if you’ve lost jawbone density over time, you may not be eligible for them. You see, when you’ve been missing teeth for a while, your jaw undergoes resorption—the technical term for bone loss.
Resorption happens because tooth roots aren’t there to stimulate jawbone cell growth, so the bone deteriorates over time. To build up the bone so it can support traditional implants, you may require a bone graft first. But even then, if you’ve experienced extensive resorption, even bone grafting may not be enough.
Mini Dental Implants
There’s good news, however: Almost all patients, no matter the amount of resorption they’ve experienced, can receive mini dental implants. As with traditional implants, Dr. Magno places these into your jawbone, where they both stimulate jaw growth and provide anchors for your dentures to latch onto. Mini implants are smaller than their traditional counterpart, measuring less than 3 mm in diameter.
What happens is this: During your evaluation, Dr. Magno will take images of your mouth with a CBCT scan—a type of sophisticated 3D X-ray. This allows her to note where to put implants. She’ll take an impression of your mouth, too, so she can have a dental lab custom-create your perfect denture.
If she needs to extract broken or infected teeth, she’ll do so before the implant procedure. Once she’s done that, she’ll use a local anaesthetic to numb your mouth before she gently guides the implants into the jawbone. Finally, she’ll anchor a temporary restoration to the implants. Over a couple of weeks, your mouth will heal from the procedure. Then you’ll come in to be fitted with your custom restoration.
Soon enough, you’ll experience the many advantages that make mini implants a popular choice for denture stabilization. These include:
- Quick results: Mini dental implants are self-tapping, threaded titanium screws that Dr. Magno can secure in the jawbone in one step. This design reduces bone trauma, keeps the implant stable from the start, and makes it possible to attach replacement teeth right away.
- Fast recovery: The minimally invasive procedure doesn’t require gum incisions or stitches. Patients recover from the procedure quickly with minimal discomfort.
- Cost-effectiveness: With their one-piece design and straightforward placement, mini implants are less expensive than traditional implants.
Denture Stabilization Options
Every patient is different and has unique needs. That’s why we offer a variety of options for full-mouth denture stabilization:
- Snap-on denture: This is a removable denture that you “snap on” to your implants. While firmly anchored in your mouth, you can remove the denture for cleaning. It’s like a traditional denture in that sense, although it doesn’t have an upper palate like dentures normally do, so you’ll be able to taste and feel your food to the fullest. In some cases, Dr. Magno can even convert your existing denture into a snap-on denture.
- Semi-permanent roundhouse bridge: This full-arch zirconia bridge is only removed during cleanings with Dr. Magno. You otherwise leave it in and don’t have to do anything to it yourself. It’s a beautiful, long-lasting denture alternative.
- Permanent roundhouse bridge: This zirconia restoration doesn’t have the thick, clumsy pink gum base of regular dentures, so it mimics real teeth more naturally. Dr. Magno cements it to your implants, and it is never removed.
During your consultation, Dr. Magno will discuss with you which restorative option is best.
Secure Your Smile Today With Dr. Rose Magno
With mini dental implants, the denture stabilization process is simple and affordable. And you can trust Dr. Magno to give you the best care with regard to your implant procedure: Not only is she a fellow of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, but she is also a diplomate of the International Academy of Mini Dental Implants—the organization’s highest designation.
Contact us today at San Francisco East Bay Mini Dental Implants via text with any questions you have about mini implants. We’ll get your dentures stabilized so you can smile confidently each and every day.
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