Often when adults lose adult teeth as they age, implant-supported dentures can be a safe and effective choice to help improve their smile and keep their mouth healthy. Most implant-supported dentures are made to look, feel, and act like natural teeth and are the closest thing you can get to natural, healthy teeth. Not only does this help preserve the aesthetic view of the mouth, but dentures also preserve the overall structure of the mouth by keeping the other teeth from moving out of their normal positions in unnatural or painful ways.
What are denture implants? Permanent implant-supported dentures are a type of overdenture that is supported by and attached to dental implants in the jawbone that extend outward from the gums. What’s an overdenture? It’s a complete or partial denture that sits on top of or is attached to underlying tooth structures or dental implants. Like other dentures, overdentures are removable, but they can also provide improved function and retention when compared to conventional dentures, which may become unstable over time or require refitting.
Two Types of Implants
Whereas conventional dentures rest on the gum and may be attached to the natural teeth, implant-supported dentures are dentures held in place by implants. Implants connect to a surgically-fixed foundation attached to the jawbone. Once your dentist determines if you’re a good candidate for implants, including having sufficient jawbone, they will determine which of the two types of implants to use.
Bar-retained: a thin metal bar attaches to two to five implants in the jawbone. Clips or similar types of attachments fix the denture to this bar.
Ball-retained: Ball-retained dentures, also called stud-attachment dentures, usually contain sockets that fit onto ball-shaped connectors on the implants.