When people think about senior citizens and missing teeth, they tend to think about dentures and bridges-not about dental implants. However, what many people don't realize is that the two can be used together. Dentures and implants can work together to give the elderly functionality out of their teeth.
Why Denture Implants Are Necessary
Why would senior citizens need or want denture implants? After all, bridges or dentures have been used for years in the elderly...why would denture implants be better? As it turns out, many people do not realize that bridges and dentures are really not very functional for most senior citizens.
Many people who wear dentures or bridges have a great number of issues with their dental appliances falling out or slipping. Because of this, they are not able to eat with their dental appliances in place. Regardless of what denture adhesives or pastes they use, their dentures or bridges simply will not remain in place; therefore, chewing food and eating is absolutely impossible.
This goes directly against the point of even having dentures or a bridge-why bother having teeth if you can't chew? Aesthetic reasons are the only ones for even wearing those dental appliances.
However, denture implants can work to give denture wearers the functionality that they want and need from their teeth. The elderly can actually use their dentures for their intended purpose, rather than simply wearing them for aesthetic reasons.
Denture Implants Procedure
Having denture implants inserted is not a simple procedure. It is an actual surgery that does require intensive drilling and sutures. It does have a high success rate; however, because it is a surgery there are risks.
The dentures implant procedure it typically done on the lower jaw. Two implant posts are usually all that are needed for practicality; however, adding more implant posts will increase the stability of the dentures dramatically.
For dentures implants, a dental professional will drill and implant prosthetic posts (titanium rods, typically) into the jawbone. After the tissue around the posts heals the rods will become a part of the bone in the mouth. The dentures can then be fastened into the mouth so that they will remain in place even under the most rigorous conditions.
After Dentures Implants
Patients who have received dentures implants do not have to worry about their dental appliances anymore. Most patients tend to forget that they are even wearing them. They can return to normal life, eating with their dentures without concern.
