Implant Dentures – San Antonio, TX

Improve Function with a Complete Smile

If you’ve lost all your natural teeth, you understand how devastating it can be to your mental, emotional, and physical health. Eating is no longer enjoyable, speaking is difficult, and smiling is less and less likely because of the embarrassment you feel. While traditional dentures can give you the look of a healthy smile, but it lacks the additional benefits you need to ensure complete functionality. At Laith Family Dentistry, Dr. Kadamani is pleased to provide a superior alternative – implant dentures in San Antonio! With the help of these prosthetics, you can enjoy better oral health, improved functionality, and a greater quality of life. To learn more about implant dentures, contact our office to schedule a consultation today.

What Are Implant Dentures?

Implant dentures are the gold standard for tooth replacement. Instead of sitting on your gums like traditional dentures, these permanent prosthetics are secured into place with the help of your jawbone. Once they fuse with your bone tissues, it creates a solid foundation that is designed to support your customized denture when placed. The titanium implant posts mimic the natural root of your tooth, so they can continue to provide stimulation to your jawbone and keep it from shrinking over time. As a result, you’ll be less likely to experience facial collapse, which often occurs among denture-wearers. Instead, with implant dentures, you’ll be able to eat the foods you love, smile freely with greater confidence, and enjoy better oral health because of how easy they are to maintain.

When meeting with your implant dentist in San Antonio for your consultation, not only will she go over your individual goals, but she’ll also discuss the two different types of dentures you can receive:

Fixed/Permanent Implant Dentures

If you want a prosthetic that is permanently affixed and cannot be removed by anyone other than your dentist, you’ll want a hybrid prosthetic. Requiring between 4 and 6 dental implants to secure it into place, it will look and act just like your regular teeth, allowing you to enjoy an easy-to-care-for tooth replacement solution.

Removable Implant Dentures

If you want to be able to remove your denture at night to thoroughly clean it before bed, you’ll need to go with what is known as an overdenture. By having a denture that can easily snap in and out of place for easy removal, your dentist will only need between 2 and 5 dental implants to support this type of prosthetic. Also, it will be held in place using a bar-retained or ball-retained device.

The Implant Denture Process

At Laith Family Dentistry, Dr. Kadamani works closely with local implant specialists to perform the dental implant surgery portion of your treatment. Although it does take additional time to complete the entire process, the results you’ll achieve will be well worth the investment in your time and money.

A typical dental implant treatment process looks something like the following:

1. A scheduled consultation with your implant dentist to discuss your goals and determine if you require any preliminary treatments (i.e., bone grafting, periodontal therapy, tooth extraction).
2. Dental implant surgery that involves receiving local anesthesia before small incisions are made in your gums and dental implants are placed in the correct locations. The gum tissue is then closed, and a protective cap is placed on top of each implant.
3. Recovery requires spending 3-6 months at home allowing osseointegration to occur, which is when your implants fuse with the bone tissues.
4. Small metal abutments, which are connector pieces that attach the implant to the restoration, are put into place after you’ve fully healed.
5. Your customized denture is then put into place to finalize the entire process.

Am I a Candidate for Implant Dentures?

You will find that most adults are eligible to receive implant dentures. Even if you do not think you’ll qualify, it’s best to schedule an appointment with Dr. Kadamani to let her examine your smile. Not only does she know what she’s looking for, but even if your oral cavity isn’t quite ready for dental implants in San Antonio, she can recommend preliminary treatments that will ensure a healthy and longer-lasting lifespan for your implants once they are put into place.

During your consultation, she will consider three important factors when determining if you are eligible for implant dentures:

1. You must not show any signs of gum disease, as this could cause dental implant failure. If you do, it will be necessary for you to undergo periodontal therapy to improve your gum health before receiving dental implants.
2. You must be healthy enough to undergo minor oral surgery and have no issues with systemic issues that weaken the immune system, as these can make it hard to heal after implant surgery.
3. You must have enough jawbone density to support your implants and denture. If you do not, bone grafting will be necessary to create a stronger foundation for your new smile.

Benefits of Combining Dentures & Dental Implants

There are many unique benefits to combining dentures and dental implants, some of which include:

• Eating the foods you love without worrying about your denture falling out or accidentally slipping
• Greater bite force and chewing power to make eating certain foods possible once again
• Improved oral health because your implants will continue to stimulate your jawbone
• Easy to maintain tooth replacement solution because your new teeth will look and act just like regular ones, making them easier to clean and maintain
• A better quality of life that allows you to eat, speak, and smile without feeling worried about your prosthetics