Loose Denture Solutions
Over time, traditional dentures will become loose. The main reason for this is that the bone in the jaw continues to shrink over time when either teeth or dental implants are not present. The shrinking of bone in the jaw leads to patients having to replace a denture several times throughout their lifetime.
There are multiple ways to correct loose-fitting dentures:
Make a new denture: Sometimes a denture does not fit anymore because the bone has changed too much. In these cases, making a new denture may be the preferred option. One concern with continuing to remake dentures is that each time a new denture is made, the bone volume and quality is not as good as it was for the previous set of dentures. This makes it more difficult to get a stable fitting denture because the foundation for the denture is not as strong as it was before.
Reline the existing denture: There are times when a denture begins to loosen where the denture can be relined. Relining can be done with a hard or soft material. Relining is done by placing the reline material on the tissue side of the denture and letting it form to the shape of your gums and bone.
The relining procedure can be done either in a laboratory or a dental office. After relining a denture, the patient will have a more accurate fit. Relines do not last forever because the bone will continue to shrink without teeth or implants. Eventually, a new denture will need to be made. A reline can provide a less expensive short-term solution for a loose denture.
Snap dentures onto implants: Using implants for denture stability provides the patient with a dramatically improved fit. Dentures that are stabilized with implants give the patient a much more comfortable and stable fit that allows the patient to eat, speak, and smile with more confidence. Typically, dentures are snapped onto multiple implants (as few as two). The implants not only give the denture a better fit but stabilize the bone to keep it from shrinking. This gives the denture a longer lifespan. Previous traditional denture wearers notice a big difference when converting over to an implant attached denture.
Locator Retained Overdenture
Screw retained dentures on implants: These dentures are often referred to as All-on-Four dentures. They are sometimes advertised as teeth in a day. All-on-Four dental implants is a process in which a denture is fixed in the mouth by screwing it into the implants. The ‘Four’ in ‘All-on-Four’ refers to the minimum number of implants that are used in this procedure. The biggest benefit of screw retained dentures is that the denture is not removed and stays in the mouth for a very stable fit. Another benefit of screw retained dentures is that they are less bulky than traditional dentures and do not require that the roof of the mouth be covered with denture material. This is especially beneficial for patients that have a gag reflex or excess bone in the palate. Screw retained dentures provide the most stable fit when it comes to correcting loose fitting dentures.
Screw-Retained Dentures
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