Birmingham, AL Implant-Supported Dentures

Dentures don’t have to slide around and make you look old. Supporting yours with dental implants will not only restore a feeling of comfort and stability but also keep you looking younger by preventing facial collapse. At Alabaster Aesthetic Dentistry, we offer different types of implant-supported dentures to suit a range of budgets and preferences.

Implant Overdentures

Our most economical option is the implant overdenture. This is a traditional denture, an acrylic replacement for your teeth and gum tissue. But instead of relying on suction or your tongue to keep them steady, implant overdentures snap into place. The snap fasteners shown in the picture below are attached to four dental implants embedded in the jawbone. These implant-supported dentures can be easily removed and reattached at home.

To reduce costs, as few as two implants can be used to support this type of denture, although more implants do provide greater stability. And if there isn’t room in your budget for dental implants at the time that your dentures are made, we can always convert them to overdentures later, when implant surgery is financially feasible for you.

Fixed Implant Dentures

For even greater stability, we offer a type of fixed implant denture called a hybrid implant denture. Considered a cross between a traditional denture and an implant bridge, a hybrid implant denture consists of acrylic teeth and gum tissue permanently secured to the jaw via four or more dental implants. These implant-supported dentures give you the feeling of having your own natural teeth back, restoring your comfort and confidence.

Implant Bridge

Another option, if there is adequate gum structure remaining, is the implant bridge, which is made of porcelain for your most beautiful, natural-looking smile. As shown in the image below, the bridge consists of porcelain crowns affixed to each other in an arch. Several of the crowns attach directly to dental implants embedded in the jaw. Implant bridges are not actually dentures. They are a supremely durable and stable teeth replacement solution for patients who still have plenty of healthy gum tissue.

Benefits of Implant-Supported Dentures

As you can see, anchoring your dentures with dental implants keeps them from sliding around. This makes everyday actions like chewing, talking, and even just smiling feel more natural.

But there’s a more important reason to support your dentures with dental implants: to prevent resorption of your jawbone. Losing your teeth causes the underlying bone to disintegrate. This is the body’s resourcefulness at work, taking the bone minerals from an area that is no longer using them so that they can be repurposed elsewhere.

But though you may no longer need your jawbone to support your teeth, you definitely still need it to support your facial structure. Losing too much bone material from your jaw — as will eventually happen if bone resorption is allowed to continue — causes your face to shrink without proper support. And facial collapse, as shown in the image at left, makes you look older than you otherwise would. But even more importantly, a jaw with critically low bone density can no longer properly support a denture, resulting in a heavily restricted diet.

Thankfully, dental implants can put a stop to bone resorption before it causes facial collapse. When embedded in the jaw, implants act as tooth roots and signal to the body that the surrounding bone is still performing a significant function. The bone in that area does not disintegrate, and the structural integrity of the face is protected.

Implant-Supported Dentures at Alabaster Aesthetic Dentistry

Your journey toward a secure smile will begin with a consultation with Dr. Thomas Dudney. Here you’ll have an opportunity to discuss your options in implant-supported dentures and decide what works best for you. Dr. Dudney will take photos of your smile so that he can create your ideal design for your dentures.

When you’re ready to move forward, we’ll also take x-rays and a CBCT scan. The CBCT scan provides a critical 3-dimensional view of your jaw, mouth, sinuses, and nasal cavities. From this information, Dr. Dudney will be able to determine the precise placement for your implants.

Your next visit will be for implant surgery. Dr. Dudney will refer you to a surgeon specializing in the surgical placement of implants. He will place each implant in the location specified by Dr. Dudney. Afterwards, we’ll give you a temporary denture to wear home while we wait a few months for your implants to osseointegrate, or fuse completely to your jawbone. Then we’ll call you back to affix your new smile!

To begin your journey, give us a call at (205) 663-6545 to schedule your consultation. If you prefer, you may request an appointment online, and we’ll give you a call for scheduling. We look forward to meeting with you!