Goodlettsville Dental Services

An implant retained denture is a type of over denture secured in place by dental implants using two to four dental implants. Dental Implants are artificial tooth roots. Dental implants provide a foundation to hold down a denture and hold it firmly in place.

Implant Retained Dentures may be removable by the patient or fixed to the point where they are removable only by the dentist. An implant-supported denture is used when a person doesn’t have any teeth in the jaw, but has enough bone in the jaw to support implants. Having enough bone is very crucial to place dental implants.An implant-supported denture has special attachments that snap onto the implants. It is estimated that implant supported dentures will restore nearly 90% of chewing ability. At Rivergate Dental Care in Goodlettsville, we specialize in implants and dentures.

How does it work?

The implants will be fixed on to the denture with special attachments. The denture made of an acrylic base, which will look like gums, will have acrylic teeth that look like natural teeth. The implants will firmly hold the denture in place giving it stability comparable to your natural teeth. There are two types of implant retained dentures.

• Bar-retained dentures have a thin metal bar running along the curve of your gums. The denture is securely attached to this bar using clips or other devices. This type of dentures requires between 2 to 5 dental implants to hold it in place.  
• Locator retained dentures have implants placed on the jaw bone with button type metal attachments which are latched on to complimenting socket type or female type attachments in the dentures.

What’s the procedure for getting an implant retained denture?

A consultation with Dr. Weaver to determine the best course of treatment is the first step to getting implant retained dentures. On the basis of your medical and dental histories as well as his dental evaluations using, X-Ray, CT Scans, dental impressions etc, it is decided whether you need to go in for the implant retained denture or not. Once it is decided that you are a candidate for the process, he will have a denture prepared for you. This temporary denture is to be used till your implant retained denture procedure is completed. There will be two surgeries involved to complete the whole procedure.

First Surgery: At this stage an incision is made in your gums where the implants are to be made. The implant is fixed to the bone and the incision is closed. In the next 3-4 weeks the incision is given time to heal. Once the healing period is over you will be given the temporary denture to wear. We will wait between 3 to 6 months before scheduling the second surgery. This is important as in this interval; the jaw bone and the implants will integrate. Once it is ascertained that the integration process has been successful, we will schedule the second surgery.

Second Surgery: This will be a simpler procedure than the first surgery. We will will make a small incision on your gums and expose the head of the implants. A healing abutment or collar is then placed around the head of the implant for about 2 weeks. During this period, your temporary denture will also be relined if required. Following the two week healing period, the healing abutments are replaced with permanent abutments or collars and an impression of your implants and gums are also prepared. These impressions will be used to create a working model of your implants and jaw. It will be on the basis of this working model, that your denture framework and teeth will be made.

Denture Try-In and Insertion: Once the denture framework is ready, we will fix the bar or the ball heads on to the implants and you can then try out your denture framework. Once it is ascertained that it’s working well, the teeth are fixed on to the framework permanently and the bar or ball attachments are also fixed. The denture is then fixed on to your bar or ball implants and secured.

The whole procedure can take between 5 months to 1 year depending on various factors.

How Do I Take Care Of My Implants Retained Dentures?

In the initial 12 months you may have to visit our office regularly every 3-4 months to ensure that the denture is secure and every part of it is working fine. A regular cleaning regimen as advised by our office has to be implemented to ensure that your denture has a long life. The clips or the attachments on the bar type implant retained denture has to be retained every 12 months or so to avoid wear and tear.

At Rivergate Dental Care, we’ve treated patients from all over the Nashville area – including Goodlettsville, White House, Madison, Hendersonville, Gallatin and beyond! Give us a call today and soon you will be waking up to a new smile! 1 800 FIX MY TEETH