In the past, when someone came to my practice with broken down teeth and required a denture, I knew that a challenging transition was ahead of him. He would have to get used to speaking and chewing with the denture in place while his gums were healing from multiple extractions. Once healed, the denture would be too loose and require a “relining material” so it would fit better.
Denture patients also have to get used to eating without feeling the food and can no longer bite into crisp fruits and vegetables, nor eat nuts.
Today, there is a different option. When a few teeth remain and are beyond repair, those teeth are extracted and, in the same appointment, dental implants are placed in the extraction sites where they “Osseo integrate”. That is a long word for attaching themselves to human bone tissue. Then, they are strong enough to hold the denture in place. Hence, the term “immediate placement”. This is possible only when the bone of the jaw is healthy enough to regenerate during the healing process.
Dental implants have been around for almost 40 years, often used in other countries. If dental students graduated prior to the introduction of implants in the U.S., they attend courses and hands-on labs to learn the technique.
Contact Winterset Dental today to find out which treatment is right for you.