shutterstock_100424281Dental patients who have worn dentures for years know that they have their drawbacks. On one hand, dentures can be an excellent choice for patients who are edentulous, helping to restore their smiles and to enjoy foods again. Unfortunately, dentures can shift or click when you talk or eat, leading to embarrassment and self-consciousness. Over time, the bones that hold the dentures change shape, leading to poor fit, discomfort and even mouth sores.

If you’re able to relate to some of these problems, it might be time to talk to your prosthodontist about dental implants. An exciting new development for dentures is the combination of dental implants with standard dentures. Because dental implants are placed directly into your jawbone, the implants firmly anchor the dentures in a way that adhesive materials and simple suction cannot. In fact, it’s so stable that they can feel like natural teeth!

When dental implants are utilized in conjunction with dentures, they are known as hybrid dentures. These dentures enable their wearers to enjoy a wider variety of crisp, healthy foods that standard dentures can’t chew very well. This staves off health issues related to poor nutrition and digestive difficulties related to incomplete mastication.

The stability offered by dental implants with dentures means that the body of the denture itself can be smaller. It often frees the upper palate, leaving it open to the taste and texture of foods that was previously blocked by the old-style denture. It feels better to your tongue and it feels better to eat.

The dental implants also help stimulate the bones of the jaw, helping the patient maintain strong bones, preserving the shape of the mouth and face and avoiding shrinkage.

If you wear dentures and are curious about how dental implants could be employed to improve your denture experience, talk to Federal Way, WA dental implant dentist today. You might be surprised at how much more you enjoy your dentures when you include dental implants.