What to Know About Transitioning from Dentures to Dental Implants in OKC
Our OKC dental implants provider gets to see first-hand, every day, the difference that dental implants make in people’s lives. Many of our clients are individuals who are already wearing removable dentures or “plates.”
While implant stabilized dentures (overdentures) are a step-up from a conventional prosthesis, the true difference is when you transition completely to permanent dental implants.
Benefits of Hybrid Dental Implants
A full-arch dental implant prosthesis is much more streamlined than traditional dentures. There are no “plates” that span the roof of your mouth and no messy adhesives or pastes are needed. Your permanent restoration follows the natural curvature of your smile, freeing up extra space. This discreet design makes everything from talking to tasting your food easier and more enjoyable.
Nothing to Take Out at Night
Hybrid full-arch implant restorations are permanently fixed into place. That means no removable appliances when you go to bed at night. Dental implants are fixed, artificial “roots” that support hybrid or extended bridges and crowns that mimic the function of anatomical teeth.
Changes in Your Home Care
One of the biggest changes or transitions, when you’re upgrading to dental implants, is the change in your morning and nightly home care routine. Essentially, you’ll be going back to a typical twice-a-day toothbrushing routine, like what you did before experiencing tooth loss.
You’ll also want to plan to floss around each implant daily. Our implant dentist often recommends investing in a water flosser, as these devices make it easier to clean under full-arch implants and in hard-to-reach spaces. Just note that they can take a little getting used to! But once you make the transition, you will probably find that you can quit using traditional floss altogether.
The Transition Takes Time
When you got dentures for the first time, it took several days or even a few weeks to adjust to them. Everything from eating and speaking with your new prosthesis took plenty of practice.
Transitioning to dental implants also takes time, but not in the sense you might think. While having dental implants is nearly identical to that of having natural teeth, time is required to transition your mouth to the restoration altogether.
For example, our dentist may have you wear an interim prosthesis (such as a denture) after your implants are installed, allowing them plenty of time to integrate with your bone. The integration process is what takes the longest amount of time, but once it’s complete, your permanent new prosthesis is capable of supporting even more biting pressure than a healthy set of teeth.
Improvement in Quality of Life
Once you have fully transitioned into your new implants, be prepared to enjoy some of the simple pleasures of life that can be dimmed with conventional dentures. You can laugh, talk and eat without fear of your dentures slipping. No more harsh rubbing on your gums or sores because your dentures don’t fit as well anymore. No more misplacing your teeth! Tasting of food comes back because the roof of your mouth isn’t covered anymore. Lastly, confidence. Most patients see a big boost in their confidence. Their implants become a permanent part of them and make day to day life much more enjoyable.
Are Dental Implants Right for You?
Contact Saxon Dentistry today to reserve a consultation.