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This Article Has Been Medically Reviewed By Dr. Ficca.
If you currently wear dentures but are considering a more permanent solution, you may wonder if dental implants are an option. As a board-certified periodontist and dental implant surgeon, Dr. Ficca specializes in providing tailored solutions for Charlotte and the surrounding areas of North Carolina. Explore the benefits of getting dental implants even if you have dentures.
Dental implants are an advanced tooth replacement option that provides enhanced stability, functionality, and natural aesthetics. They are small titanium posts surgically placed into your jawbone, serving as tooth support and/or artificial tooth roots. These implants fuse with the jawbone through a process called osseointegration, creating a solid foundation for your new teeth.
Once healed, your dental implants will be attached with an abutment that will hold your new, customized teeth in place. Dental implants are a long-term solution for patients with missing teeth.
Many patients with missing teeth will research the prospect of repairing their smile with dentures or partials – and there are certainly times when having dentures or bridges might be a preferable solution – but with advancements in dental technology and oral surgery techniques, dental implants have become the most popular choice for missing teeth. Implants provide multiple benefits over dentures, including more confidence, stability, strength, permanence, better comfort, and bone preservation.
It can sometimes take months for dental implants to heal before attaching teeth. There is also a revolutionary procedure, Teeth in a Day, which offers same-day teeth implants, at Dr. Ficca’s Charlotte location.
Generally, if you have dentures or partials, you can certainly opt to replace your dentures with dental implants. However, some things must be considered and evaluated by your surgeon before undergoing the procedure.
Denture-wearers experience bone loss in their jawbone due to the lack of stimulation to the gums beneath the arches. When chewing food normally, pressure and motion give your gums and jawbone blood supply and stimulation. However, dentures obstruct this process, leading to bone loss in the jawbone which can make receiving dental implants impossible, depending on the extent of the damage.
However, despite bone loss in the jawbone, Dr. Ficca offers multiple services to make your jaw ideal for dental implants.
Bone grafting is a common procedure to repair and restore areas with bone loss or damage and create a stable foundation for dental implants.
Another procedure to address jawbone loss is sinus augmentation. A predictable and effective technique that raises the sinus floor to allow for bone growth. Healing from a sinus augmentation procedure will vary from patient to patient.
If you have a jaw deformity from periodontal disease, bone atrophy from missing teeth, trauma, or a birth abnormality, ridge modification allows Dr. Ficca to access the defect and make repairs with bone or bone substitutes. This procedure not only improves the appearance and functionality of your smile, but also prepares your mouth for potential implant placement, ensuring a more secure and long-lasting solution for tooth replacement.
At Metrolina Periodontics & Dental Implants, a revolutionary i-CAT® scan will be done that provides Dr. Ficca with comprehensive insights into the condition of your teeth, face, and jaw with 3D imaging. You will sit comfortably as the procedure is done, without worrying about the closed containment of a traditional CAT scan.
This high-tech imaging procedure will help Dr. Ficca determine if your dental implant procedure will require bone grafting or sinus augmentation to be successful, or if an alternative solution is needed.
Dentures may have been a good option for many people; however, dental implants have quickly become the most popular choice to restore dental health and rejuvenate healthy smiles. If you have dentures, you may be an ideal candidate to receive dental implants as an alternative. If you’d like to find out if you can get dental implants if you have dentures, schedule a consultation online with Dr. Ficca, or call Metrolina Periodontics & Dental Implants at (704) 544-2224 today.
