With proper maintenance, dental implants can last forever. And while we don’t expect the dentures themselves to last as long, but they can still be very long-lasting. Some studies show that implant dentures can last 30 years or more, but they don’t always.
Here are some steps you can use to make sure your implant dentures last longer.
Invest in Quality Implant Dentures
As the bard says, where it ends usually depends on where you start. This is true for implant dentures as well as for life. Investing in quality implant dentures at the beginning can help you enjoy longer-lasting results from your implant dentures.
Quality construction of the dentures can extend their life. In particular, ceramic materials, such as ceramic teeth, are more durable against wear than acrylic. This matters more for implant dentures, which allow for greater biting and chewing force.
It might be more expensive to get quality dentures up front, but it can save you money and difficulty in the long run.
Precise Planning
Another part of getting a good start with implant dentures is proper placement of dental implants. These should be placed where the bone is strongest, and they should be placed precisely parallel, just like straight teeth. This helps balance the force between the denture and the implants, so that your implants don’t get stressed.
This isn’t something you can control directly, but you can influence it through your choice of dentists. Ask your dentist about how they plan the procedure.
At Smile Columbia Dentistry, our advanced digital procedures utilize CT scans to generate a 3D image of the implant sites, then create a surgical guide to ensure precise placement. That way, we can place your dental implants so that they provide maximum support for your implant dentures
Good Hygiene
Once you’ve got a good start, it’s time to start taking care of your implant dentures. Good oral hygiene is necessary to protect your dental implants as well as your implant dentures.
If your dentures fit well, creating a good seal with your gums, you won’t get food underneath the denture, and you won’t have to take them out to clean except at night. However, if you do notice that you are getting accumulation of food or plaque under the denture, clean it after each meal. Make sure you clean around the implants whenever you remove the denture–these are like your teeth, and they can develop an infection if you don’t make sure they’re clean every day.
Regular Dental Visits
As with your natural teeth, dental implants benefit from regular dental checkups. If you want your implants and your implant dentures to last, keep to a regular dental checkup schedule, seeing your dentist every six months, just as you did with your natural teeth.
This will allow us to remove problematic deposits, such as tartar, and it will let us identify problems with your dentures or implants before they become serious.
Reline Dentures When Necessary
Ensuring you maintain good denture fit/why-dont-my-dentures-fit-anymore’}}}} is critical to making your dentures last. When your dentures fit properly, they maintain balanced forces on the implants. Proper denture fit also keeps food from getting under the denture, which can be uncomfortable and can contribute to plaque formation.
But even if dentures start out with proper fit, they may not maintain it. Although dental implants slow the loss of bone and gum from your jaw, they may not stop it altogether. Your body will naturally remove bone where the implants aren’t, and this can affect the fit of your implant dentures. When that happens, we might recommend a reline to restore proper fit and comfort.
We Strive for Lifelong Dentures
At Smile Columbia Dentistry, we believe in delivering quality results, and that includes making your dentures last as long as possible. We utilize quality materials, design an implant solution to last, and provide good follow-up to protect your investment.
If you are looking for implant dentures in Columbia, SC that are designed to last, please call (803) 781-9090 today for an appointment with a denture dentist at Smile Columbia Dentistry.
