Multiple Tooth Implant
Dallas, TX
 Dallas Oral Surgery Associates offers removable overdentures that are affixed to dental implants. For patients who have lost all of their teeth in either the upper or lower jaw, they are an alternative to removable full dentures, which do not offer the same security and are liable to slipping or falling out.
The use of an overdenture is a modern tooth restoration procedure providing a different option to the limitations of full dentures. Not everyone finds dentures comfortable to wear, and if they are ill-fitting and precarious this may have a detrimental effect on even basic activities such as eating, talking, and smiling. A traditional denture is an unsecured prosthetic, whereas an overdenture is fully secured to dental implants.
Other Benefits of Removable Overdentures
Overdentures provide a good clinical outcome for patients. They have all the benefits of having your own teeth, but you can simply snap them on and off to remove them for cleaning, and for cleaning around the implants.
For patients who have bone loss in the jawbone dental implants are not always an option, unless with a bone graft. However, dental implants used for overdentures may negate the need for bone grafts as the implants are positioned at a different angle to traditional implants, creating a greater implant-to-bone contact ratio to increase stability.
Dental implants contribute to the health of the surrounding bone. In the same way, as biting and chewing forces transmit down into the tooth roots causing slight movement next to the bone, dental implants act in the same way. The old adage ‘use it or lose it’ is applicable to many of the body’s functions, including stimulating the jawbone to prevent it from wasting away.
Although more expensive than full dentures, removable overdentures supported with dental implants are a cost-effective solution compared to other implant-supported treatments. As it requires fewer implants to be placed in the jaw compared to the All-on-4® Treatment Concept, for example, it is less expensive.
One of the major benefits of overdentures is that your replacement arch of teeth can be affixed immediately after the insertion of the dental implants, rather than having to wait for several months, as is the case for traditional, single implants.
Am I a Suitable Candidate for Overdentures?
There are some circumstances where removable overdentures may not be a suitable treatment for you. One of these is if you have extensive bone loss in the jaw, although we may be able to discuss other options, such as bone grafting, that may allow you to have overdentures in the future.
If you are generally in good health, you may be a candidate for overdentures, but some aspects of your medical history may be of concern. For example, uncontrolled diabetes may make you more susceptible to infections and gum disease—both of which may cause an infection around the implant, known as peri implantitis, which could lead to the implant failing.
Finally, the health risks of smoking are well known, but for dental implants, they pose a particular risk. As smoking diminishes blood flow, which is required to carry nutrients around the body and guard against infection, a dental implant is at risk of failure.
We are here for any questions or concerns. Please schedule an appointment to speak to us at Dallas Oral Surgery Associates about removable overdentures by calling 214-363-9946.
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