MISSING TEETH/ DENTURES/ IMPLANTS

The other day we had a patient’s wife call in and she was frantic. Her husband and the father of her four children had been in a terrible auto accident and had knocked out several of his teeth and broken several bones in his face and body. Somehow in spite of the trauma, he managed to keep a sense of humor and sent a selfie to Dr. Laura Justice at Justice Dental in Lexington, Kentucky and said she had her work cut out for her!

He really had no idea what she was going to do to replace his missing teeth. Would he need dentures, implants or something else? All he knew was that Dr. Justice had extensive training in full mouth restoration including missing teeth, dentures and implants. He trusted her to guide him to create the right plan.

He came into the office the next day and said one word: HELP!!! Dr. Justice started by taking a CT scan which gives you the most detailed, accurate picture of what is going on with your teeth and bone structure. After reviewing the scans, she began to

discuss his options in terms of the different types of dentures available. Traditional dentures are made with impressions that are taken of the mouth without the teeth and are fabricated to the underlying gum. A denture of this type is held in place by structural (bone) anatomical features and suction in the mouth. Sometimes denture adhesives or paste is needed. An Over Denture is a denture that is attached to either two dental implants which help stabilize and hold the denture firmly in place. It will actually “snap” into place. This is a much better option she explained to him. She told him that the Over Denture still needs to be removed at night like a traditional denture.

Implant Dentures

Implant Dentures

The last option she told him about was what she called the “Lamborghini of dentures”. It is called a Hybrid Denture (also known as an Implant Denture or Hybrid Bridge). This would require 4-6 implants on both his bottom and top arch. She told him that the benefits of this denture is that it is completely fixed and attached to the implants and is not removed at night. In addition, the cosmetic advantage for this denture would yield him the most beautiful smile because the teeth are constructed of 100% zirconia. Although he knew he had a long road back to recovery from the accident, Dr. Justice told him that within a week, he could walk out of here looking better than before the accident. She explained that this investment in the Hybrid Denture would be sooooo worth it!  As you will see from the attached video, his transformation is amazing! He could not have been happier!

Implant Dentures (hybrid bridge):

Implant Denture

Implant Denture

Dental Implants:

A dental implant can be used for single missing teeth as well as the dentures mentioned above. An implant is a titanium screw that works as the bone or root of a tooth,  The titanium screw, or implant post, is critical in helping maintain the strength of the  bone structure, which supports the teeth and will atrophy or shrink in strength, health and size once a tooth is absent. Implants help to maintain the health of the existing bone and limit the amount of bone loss over time.

Implants work just like teeth and can be brushed and flossed like teeth and are not removed. If properly cared for and hygiene is maintained, implants can last forever.

If you have missing teeth, and are feeling self conscious about your smile and have wondered how a Denture, Over Denture or Hybrid Denture could work for you, call the team at Justice Dental for a free consultation or simply click on the link below to make an appointment to see which option is best for you. We would love to help you obtain a healthy, beautiful smile that says WOW!

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