Overdentures Save Bone, Chew Better
Over 10 million Americans wear dentures. For many it's a battle to
maintain them in place and to use them with comfort. For those who need to get
dentures for the first time, there's an affordable alternative to conventional dentures and expensive dental
implants... They're called overdentures.
For years patients like Robert were embarrassed to eat in public or talk to
strangers because of slipping dentures.
Says Robert, a denture wearer: "When I talked it would get loose, my speech would be
difficult... and then while chewing, I had a problem with it just moving around in my mouth."
Robert no longer worries about his dentures popping up thanks to overdentures. The
treatment means surgically implanting two dental implants into the lower jaw. The
patient's old dentures are refitted
with attachments called o-rings which allow the dentures to be snapped into place.
Dentists at the Virginia Commonwealth Univ. Dental School state: "On occasion regular dentures may allow food
to get underneath the prosthesis or may actually abrade the tissue. The dentures that are held in place with
implants tend to move less and are more comfortable for the individuals."
Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Dentistry also found
that overdentures help retain the support and good looks of the jaw which
recedes when teeth are removed from the jaw.
The VCU dentists say "We found with implants it slows the process
down significantly." Besides the o-ring, other attachments like magnets can also be used
to stabilize the dentures in place.
Robert.: "The denture stays where it should be and that makes you more confident in
your everyday life."
Overdentures are usually removed at night and considered the affordable compromise to
conventional dentures and total replacement of the entire dentition with dental implants.
Dentists can only use the old existing dentures for overdentures if they fit
properly and are in good condition. The bite must be the correct height for old
dentures to be fitted to overdentures. The problem with 70% of dentures is that
they are over-closed and do not have the proper support for the face, creating a
sunken-in look.