Traditional dentures have a tendency to slip around in the mouth and can pop out at the most embarrassing times – like when you are blowing out a birthday cake. Traditional dentures are still used widely to give people a good smile while restoring their ability to eat, and they are the prime option for people who can't afford the cost of having dental implants to replace all their lost teeth. However, there is another option if you have lost your teeth. You can use an implant-retained denture that is a hybrid of the traditional dentures and dental implants. The newer denture is called an implant-retained denture. Here is how an implant-retained denture works.  

The Problem with Traditional Dentures

The problem people have had with traditional dentures is related to the paste they use to keep the dentures in place. The paste is put underneath the dentures and then the dentures are pressed down on top off the gums. Over the course of the day, the paste thins and starts to lose its grip. The denture will then start to move around as you eat, speak, laugh, or blow out candles.

The Solution to Loose Dentures

Dentists have discovered that if they put a couple of implants in the front of the mouth they can attach clips to them. They can take your traditional dentures and put a couple of bars on the underside of them in the front. The two parts connect together to secure the dentures in place.

How the Implants are set in Place

Your dentist will cut a slit through the gums to get down to your upper and lower jaw bones in the front of your mouth. Once the bone is exposed, they will screw abutments into the bone. At the top of the abutment will be a grooved cap that sits just above your gum line.

The dentist will then have a couple of bars placed on the underside of your dentures (if your current dentures can't support the bar, the dentist will have a new set of teeth made for you that can support the bar). The bars will line up exactly with the abutments in your mouth.

You will place the dentures into your mouth and press down on them. The bars will slide into the grooves on the head of the abutment and clip into place. This will prevent your dentures from popping out of your mouth at unexpected times in the future.

If you are having trouble with your dentures sliding in and out of place in your mouth, you should talk to your dentist (click here for more information) about having implant-retained dentures made for you so you can smile and eat without worrying about your teeth popping out of your mouth.

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