Mini Dental Implant Solutions for Denture Stabilization

Are you tired of loose dentures? While traditional dentures are originally designed to fit the contours of your mouth perfectly, they often come loose over time. Because traditional dentures don’t replace your tooth roots—which are responsible for keeping your jawbone full and healthy—your jawbone will resorb, losing mass and volume. As your jaw shrinks, your denture stays the same shape, causing ill-fit. Unfortunately, loose dentures can have negative consequences for your diet, as it becomes more difficult to chew some foods. However, Dr. Bradford at Brent Bradford, DDS, has solutions! He offers innovative mini dental implant denture options that stabilize your smile while ensuring the health of your jawbone.

For a more secure denture solution, trust Dr. Bradford with your smile. He has been treating patients like you for over 25 years and is part of an elite group of dentists who specialize in placing mini dental implants—the Mini Dental Implant Centers of America (MDICA)!

Common Issues With Traditional Dentures

Traditional full dentures replace your entire arch of teeth, providing you with a brand-new and functional smile. Unfortunately, they also come with various issues that make life for denture patients a bit more difficult. These issues include:

• Gum irritation: Because traditional dentures come loose over time, they often slide around on your gums while you chew or speak. Floating dentures irritate the soft tissues of your mouth, causing inflammation and painful denture sores.
• Chewing difficulties: To chew some foods, you need a strong bite. With loose dentures, chewing is more difficult as tougher foods become almost impossible to break down. This often leads to an unfortunate change in diet, which can prevent you from getting the important nutrients you need to stay healthy.
• Bone resorption: Traditional dental implants only replace the surface of your smile, not the tooth roots below, which are responsible for keeping your jawbone healthy. As your missing teeth remain unreplaced, your bone will continue to shrink over time. This leads to excessive wrinkling around the lips, sunken cheeks, and even a change in facial structure!
• Social isolation: As eating or speaking with loose dentures becomes more difficult, many patients find themselves avoiding social interaction. When isolating yourself from others—whether on purpose or accidental—it’s not uncommon to feel a psychological impact. Patients who isolate themselves can have an increased risk of mental health issues like depression or anxiety.

Dental Implant Solutions for Dentures

Dr. Bradford believes that no one should have to settle for unstable dentures. Fortunately, he provides dental implant solutions that keep your denture in place! In general, there are two types of dental implants.

Traditional dental implants are larger, usually around 5 millimeters in diameter. For these implants, a more complex surgical procedure is necessary, involving incisions, stitches, and long healing periods. Throughout this healing process, the various components of your dental implant are put in place as the titanium screw in your jawbone stabilizes over time. In about 6-9 months, you can enjoy a final denture restoration supported by traditional dental implants!

However, it’s important to note that not all patients are eligible for traditional implants, as they require ample jawbone structure. Those with less available jawbone due to bone resorption often need a bone graft to get a traditional implant denture solution.

The other type of dental implant is a mini dental implant, which is much smaller and features a sleek, one-piece design. Its narrow diameter allows many patients with a reduced jawbone structure to still be eligible for mini implants—often without a bone graft!

Dr. Bradford uses a minimally invasive procedure to place these implants that doesn’t require any incisions or stitches. With just a small pilot hole in the gums and jawbone, he can place these implants in one appointment! Additionally, once the implant is in place, it becomes immediately stable enough to support a temporary or—in some cases—final restoration. With mini dental implants stabilizing your denture, you can enjoy a stable smile without the hassle of traditional implant dentures.

Mini Dental Implant Denture Options

At Brent Bradford, DDS, Dr. Bradford offers three mini dental implant denture options.

• Snap-in denture: With a “snap,” you can remove these dentures anytime for cleaning and convenience. Otherwise, they stay secure on the mini implants in your jawbone.
• Semi-permanent roundhouse bridge: This restoration is even more secure, allowing Dr. Bradford to remove the bulky denture base common in traditional dentures. Instead, this restoration features a sleek horseshoe design that stays secure on your implants, looking natural in your mouth. While you never take out semi-permanent dentures, Dr. Bradford will at routine dental appointments.
• Permanent roundhouse bridge: These dentures are the most similar to your natural teeth, as they are permanently cemented in place—never to come out. With permanent dentures, you can enjoy all the foods you love with no restrictions, as they are incredibly secure.

At your free consultation, we will discuss which denture solution with dental implant stability works best for you!

Enjoy a More Stable Smile at Brent Bradford, DDS

Loose dentures are uncomfortable and have many unfortunate consequences. With dental implant solutions, Dr. Bradford stabilizes your denture and provides you with a strong foundation for your smile. Mini dental implants are a reliable option that supports natural-looking restorations and keeps your jawbone healthy. With their wonderful benefits, you can enjoy smiling, talking, and eating again after tooth loss!

Book a free consultation today for a complimentary exam to determine your eligibility for dental implants!

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