Benefits of Replacing a Full Arch of Teeth with Dental Implants
We hear your story often at our Tampa Florida oral surgery practice. You’re missing all your teeth and have been wearing dentures for some time now. Your dentures haven’t been horrible, but they certainly haven’t been the best.
The ongoing compression on your gums and tissue that’s caused by full dentures can result in the loss of gum tissue and bone. The portion of bone that previously supported your natural teeth isn’t meant to tolerate these forces. As a result, you may feel that your dentures have become looser than what they used to be. They sometimes shift when you eat and speak. You worry about them slipping out of your mouth. You’ve had times when they’ve rubbed your gums, so you’ve taken them out and set them aside. Also, refitting or relining your dentures due to gum tissue and bone loss is common and costly.
The good news is there are better options for you than dentures. In addition to providing you with a healthier, happier smile, these implant-related options allow you to speak, eat and smile with ease and confidence. The importance of your teeth and their effect on the health of your body is invaluable. We’ve created the guide below outlining various options for replacing a full arch of teeth with dental implants as you begin to seek the best choice for you.
All-on-4
Perhaps the most revolutionary of all our options, All-on-4 is a life-changing choice for patients missing all or most of their teeth. This same-day procedure involves attaching a full-arch prosthesis (bridge) to your jaw with only four to six dental implants. As leaders in our field, we’ve been working with All-on-4 for years. In fact, our expertise and strategic placement allows us to achieve successful outcomes with patients who have been told they are not good candidates for implants.
Bar Supported Overdentures
With this option, we place four to six implants in your upper and/or lower jaw. A customized support bar is placed on the implants which stabilizes the denture once connected. The full arch prosthesis forms a solid attachment to the bar with retention clips and can be removed for cleaning. The bar remains in your mouth and, if needed, can be removed by your dentist or surgeon.
Fixed Implant Supported Bridges
A fixed implant bridge anchors the bridge to the jawbone with a single dental implant or multiple implants, depending on the number of missing teeth. Adjacent teeth do not have to be cut or ground down for the bridge to be supported. A fixed implant bridge is far more stable and saves healthy teeth.
The Benefits of a Full Arch Replacement
The beauty of blending dentures with implant technology is a combination of affordability, greater comfort, and confidence, as well as reduced bone loss and fewer visits to the dentist for refitting those uncomfortable dentures. These benefits and many more make implant-supported dentures and bridges a win-win.
Bone Grafting
When you are missing teeth, jaw health suffers. Deterioration of the jawbone sets in as soon as you lose a tooth, as the roots of your tooth provide stimulation to the jawbone. You can lose as much as 25% of your supporting jawbone structure within the first year after losing a tooth. For this reason, we often perform bone grafting to bulk up the jaw before placing implants, ensuring there’s enough mass to support them. Implants also stimulate the jawbone, like a natural tooth, which reduces the resorption or deterioration of the jawbone. This means you don’t have to have your dentures refitted and you maintain your jawbone’s health.
Ready to schedule an appointment?
Call us today to find out more about replacing a full arch of teeth with dental implants. We spend time with our patients to ensure you have a full understanding of the various options so that you can choose the best one for you! 813-968-5400