Many people know that dental implants are an ideal tooth restoration. Some don’t realize, however, that two or more implants can support partial or full dentures. This post from OKC Smiles in Oklahoma City answers the most frequent questions about implant supported dentures.
What Are Implant Dentures?
Like conventional dentures, implant-supported dentures replace missing teeth. The difference is that they are attached to titanium posts that are surgically implanted into the jawbone.
Each post is called an implant. The implant fuses with the surrounding bone structure to create an incredibly sturdy restoration. These posts are similar to the implants that hold a crown, except instead of a crown, they have a clip that attaches to the denture, partial denture, or metal bar that holds the denture connectors. Implants can be used for both upper and lower dentures.
Bar-Retained and Ball-Retained Systems
There are two types of implant stabilization methods: bar-retained and ball-retained. For both, the denture is created with gum-colored acrylic for the base to which porcelain (or acrylic) false teeth are attached. The denture involves, at a minimum, two implants for stabilization.
With the ball-retained system, each post holds an attachment (male or female) that fits into a corresponding connector on the denture. These are sometimes called “stud-attachment.”
With bar-retained dentures, a metal bar is anchored to two to five implants. The bar holds the connectors that connect to the denture.
If you wear traditional dentures but are interested in implant-supported dentures, talk to us at OKC Smiles in Oklahoma City. We also offer general dentistry. Schedule an appointment today.
Contact OKC Smiles:
405-634-7303
Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):
13900 S Western Ave, Suite 300
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
73170
