Implant Retained Dentures

Dentures have long been the treatment of choice when it comes to replacing a full arch of missing teeth. Dentures have been in use for hundreds of years. While today’s dentures are vastly different from their predecessors, they can still present problems for many wearers. Despite the technological developments making dentures more comfortable and better-fitting, they can still slip out of place which can lead to both embarrassment and painful sores. At Smiles of Tulsa, we provide the latest alternative to dentures – dental implants. We offer a wide variety of dental implants, including removable implant anchored dentures.

What are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are the latest option available for replacing your missing teeth. They are small titanium rods, which are surgically inserted into your jawbone. As you heal from surgery, the bone fuses to the implants (a process known as osseointegration) and turns them into stable “roots” that are used to support your replacement teeth. Implants are customizable, can be used to replace any number of missing teeth. To suit your specific needs, we offer several types of dental implants, from single tooth implants to implant supported dentures and over dentures.

Dental Implant Benefits

Implants provide numerous benefits:

•	They are more comfortable. Your teeth are supported by the implants, rather than your gums.
•	They provide a more natural appearance.
•	They help to preserve the strength of your jawbone. The implants themselves, not only support your replacement teeth, but they also mimic another essential function of the roots of your teeth. They stimulate your jawbone, letting your body that nutrients are still required to keep the bone strong and healthy.

Removable Over dentures

Implant supported dentures are a popular option for restoring an entire arch of missing teeth, using 6 to 8 implants to support an arch of 14 teeth. With these implants, your teeth are permanently screwed in place and are only ever removed if they need maintenance. At Smiles of Tulsa, we also provide removable implant supported over dentures. Rather than your teeth being screwed into place, they snap, or clip, into place on a metal bar that is connected to your implants. Typically, two implants are used to support this over denture, but as many as five implants may be used as well. Your replacement teeth are a single unit that snaps into an out of place and is removed nightly for cleaning.

Why Removeable Overdentures?

There are a couple of different reasons why you may want to consider removable overdentures. One reason is the cost. Dental implants are more expensive than any other type of tooth restoration option. The more implants that are placed, the more expensive they become. Fixed implant supported dentures typically require 6 to 8 implants, while removable overdentures only require 2 (sometimes as many as 5). This helps to cut down on the cost of the procedure.

The other reason to consider removable overdentures has to do with the condition of your jawbone. Implants require sufficient bone mass to fuse properly. If you have lost too much bone mass, implants are likely to fail. Even one failing implant from an implant supported denture can mean failure of the entire system. With removable overdentures, the implants that are placed are inserted at the front of your jaw, where there is naturally more bone mass. This increases the likelihood of success. Moreover, the bar that your false teeth anchor to help to fill out your lips and cheeks, providing more shape to your face following bone loss.

At Smiles of Tulsa, it is our goal to help you to restore your quality of life with dental implants. For more information on removable implant anchored overdentures, or to find out if they are right for you, give us a call today at (918) 891-3059.

Implant Retained Dentures

What are Dental Implants?

Dental Implant Benefits

Removable Over dentures

Why Removeable Overdentures?

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