Denture Stabilization
One of the biggest problems faced by total prosthesis wearers is certainly given by the lack of stability of the prostheses during chewing and speaking. This condition is highly disabling and a source of great stress. Often the total prosthesis, even when well done, is not stable and forces the wearer to use adhesive pastes for dentures in order to eat and above all to be able to talk without the risk of losing the prosthesis during these functions. In addition, dentures may cause many problems including:
* Increased salivation
* Soreness of muscles
* Feeling that is not attached or it's too big
* Until your mouth is used to them, they can develop small sores on the gums
It is well understood how this situation can strongly influence the social relationships of the patient who experiences this condition with considerable difficulty.
The reasons why it is difficult to stabilize even a well-made total prosthesis are essentially anatomical and functional. In particular, the edentulous saddle on which the prosthesis rests is formed by the residual bone after the loss of the teeth and the gum that covers it. These tissues, after tooth extraction, always undergo a remodeling that always occurs with a reduction of the bone both in height and in thickness and this leads to a limited and unstable support of the prosthesis. This phenomenon is always greater in the lower jaw than in the upper jaw where it is possible to exploit a greater contact surface by involving the palate in supporting the stability of the upper prosthesis. Therefore, most of the problems of prosthetic instability are often borne by the lower jaw, where other destabilizing factors such as the frenula and the tongue can also act when it is parafunctional.
The greatest advantage of the removable prosthesis is certainly the less invasiveness. In fact, to create a device of this type, no surgical intervention is necessary, but simply taking an impression, which will serve to faithfully reproduce the dental arches. There are, however, man disadvantages to traditional dentures.
What are the disadvantages of removable prostheses?
the mobile prosthesis also has an obvious disadvantage: poor stability. This obviously can cause problems when chewing and speaking. Furthermore, the movement of the dentures can cause the blisters which often cause considerable discomfort. Additionally, non-stablized dentures can be a fertile breeding ground for bacteria and other microorganisms, which can generate the so-called "prosthesis stomatitis" which causes irritation and burning in the oral cavity. To avoid these problems, it is necessary to properly clean the prosthetic devices using special medical devices, including special detergent tablets designed specifically for this purpose.
To overcome the problem of the dentures moving, we often resort to the use of adhesive pastes which, with their action, are able to make the prostheses adhere to the underlying gum for a certain period of time. First, it is necessary to use them constantly and in adequate quantities to have stable prostheses and not have overflows that mix the mouth with adhesive, second that as soon as they are put they are difficult to remove in the first hours and this can cause inconvenience if it is necessary to remove the prosthesis, third which, after removal, however, leave residues of adhesive paste attached to both the prosthesis and the gums, residues that must be removed to perform normal oral hygiene correctly.
Their adhesive strength decreases over the hours and often need to be put back on just before a meal.
There is a better solution, however. You can also consider the process of denture stabilization using implants.
How do stabilize your dentures: Dentures on implants
There is a technique that allows us to stabilize the prostheses using two or more implants equipped with specific attachments. These are called Overdentures and are a type of removable, metal-reinforced resin prosthesis for patients who have lost or are about to lose all their teeth and for patients with unstable removable dentures. The overdenture prostheses that are anchored on titanium dental implants have special attachments (females) inside that sit on equally special attachments (males) present on the ends of the implants. These attachments formed by the male part positioned on the implant and the female part positioned inside the prosthesis, ensure that the latter, through a slight pressure, is stably hooked to the implants making the whole system stable and firm, at the same time it is possible, with a light traction remove the prosthesis easily to perform normal hygiene procedures.
How is this done?
Denture stabilization can often be done with regular implants or mini-implants and can usually be achieved with as few as 4 or 6 implants for a total set of dentures. This, of course, will vary depending on each particular person. The procedure for mini-implants is generally minimally invasive:
* The points where the mini-implants are to be inserted are marked on the gum and a small hole is made by directly piercing the gum and drilling into the jawbone without uncovering the underlying bone as is done for a traditional implant
* Then the implant is screwed directly into the hole and has a very small diameter and a variable length
* Since the implant is wider than the hole made, it self-screws into the bone, maintaining good mechanical stability
* The insertion of the mini-implant is thusly completed
* Then, holes are made on the patient's denture in exactly the same position as the head of the implants and the female part of the attachment is blocked in the denture itself with resin
* And finally, the dentures are fitted so that the spherical head of the implants is coupled with the corresponding retentive caps
The fact of having distributed the loads on a number of 4-5 implants and that the connection between them and the retention cap is light enough without waiting for their osseointegration, i.e. their definitive stabilization in the bone, explains the possibility. that they are not individually subject to movements that would prevent this integration. The prosthesis remains locked and over time, if all goes well, the implants will bond stably to the bone.
With this system it is possible to give immediate stability to an unstable set of dentures. It can enhance function and quality of life for the wearer. Talk to your dentist today about the denture stabilization process!