Snap In Dentures
Why wear a dental prosthesis?
If your teeth are very damaged, if you have broken or lost a tooth, your dentist will certainly suggest the fitting of a dental prosthesis. Indeed, the absence of a tooth has many consequences, both aesthetic and functional, and can significantly impact your health and quality of life. All teeth are necessary for correct chewing, and incomplete chewing function often causes digestive problems, as well as poor absorption of food. The absence of teeth also has an impact on the entire oral cavity: it induces migration of neighboring teeth, premature wear of the teeth, and an increased risk of cavities. It can also create imbalances, lead to contractures and headaches (neuralgia), even bruxism, which is grinding of the teeth.
What are the different types of dental prostheses?
Crowns
When a tooth is badly damaged or broken, it is sometimes no longer possible to fill it with a filling because it does not have enough tooth structure. The dentist will then place a crown in order to restore the visible part of the tooth. This will cover the entire tooth and rest on its root. Several materials are possible: ceramics, resins, or different alloys.
The bridge
The bridge, or dental bridge, consists of two crowned teeth, called pillars, which will be connected in order to fill a free space. It often requires working on healthy teeth, or even crowning them, to ensure their maintenance.
The implant
The dental implant makes it possible to completely replace one or more teeth. Compared to the dental bridge, it does not require the use or modification of natural teeth. The dentist will place an implant directly in the jawbone, that is to say an artificial root, wait for it to heal, then come and fix a fixed dental prosthesis, usually consisting of a ceramic crown. Placing an implant requires healthy bone. If not, a transplant may be necessary.
Partial prosthesis
The partial denture rests on the gum and attaches via hooks to attachment teeth still present in the mouth. This is indicated when a small number of teeth are involved. This type of appliance is generally easy to bear, although the hooks may cause a little irritation when you start to wear them.
The complete prosthesis- Full Dentures
Most of the time made in resin, the complete prosthesis replaces the entire dentition. Full dentures include a complete impression of the gum tissue, as well as the creation of replacement teeth respecting the shapes and colors of the missing teeth. It often takes time to adapt to its use. One of the problems with complete dentures is the adaptation to chewing with them, because they rest on the gum tissue with little support other than a non-permanent fixative and very little retention. This adaptation is even more difficult with lower jaw prostheses where the tongue contributes to creating greater instability for the dentures. In addition, over the years, bone and gum loss associated with tooth loss worsens and involves relining or making new, larger and wider dentures to fill in the missing space. Because of these problems, many people are opting to use Snap-On dentures.
Snap In Dentures
Snap in dentures are removable dental prosthesis that consist of a support on which the full set of dentures are attached. This support is in the form of an implant, which is an artificial metal root that is inserted into your jawbone and gradually becomes part of the bone itself. Typically, you can have snap on dentures that attach to an few as 4-6 implants into your jaw. This can be preferable to individual implants that replace an entire set of teeth, as there is less surgery involved.
Benefits
- Ensures permanent retention and stability of the prosthesis
- Aesthetic and very durable (gives the impression of having real teeth)
- Increases chewing force (200 pounds of pressure vs. 7-9 pounds of dentures)
- A quicker and less-invasive way to replace your missing teeth, whether you need a full set or a partial set. The implants used are specific implants for this application. Since they only serve to hold the denture in traction while it is supported by the gums and the palate for compression, the stability of this assembly means that you do not have to wait 4 or 6 months for the denture, like you might with singular implants.
- Ideal for people who can't stand wearing dentures
- Ideal for people who are unable to wear dentures due to the pressure they put on your gums
- This can be a less-costly option for replacing a whole mouth of missing teeth than individual implants
Disadvantages
- Require similar maintenance and hygiene to regular dentures
- This type of device requires careful and correct maintenance to avoid complications and ensure better comfort.
- Requires time for its preparation and realization (4-5 steps over a period of 4-6 months)
- Aesthetics: As with all dentures, a resin edge covers the gums and partially the palate.
- Comfort: For the upper jaw, the dentures have a half-palate. Some people can't stand having their palate covered.
- Stability: The denture clipped onto the locator abutment is not as stable as a fixed bridge
Did you know that with our natural teeth, we can exert up to 200 pounds of pressure on food because the teeth are firmly attached to the jawbone. When we wear dentures that only press against the gum line, we can only exert 7-9 pounds of pressure. Meat requires a minimum of 20 pounds of pressure.
As a consequence, denture wearers tend to chew their food less and swallow whole. It decreases the digestion of food, promotes diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. Because dentures cover tissue and block taste buds, when patients end up with implants, they taste much better from the food they eat.
Longevity of Snap in dentures
Implants can be lifelong with good frequency of testing. The average lifespan of braces is about 8 years. It is recommended that you wear or leave the dentures in a glass of water overnight to prevent them from drying out.