Caring for an Elderly Parent With Special Dental Needs
Dentures Or Implants? Why You Should Consider Using Both, With Overdentures
Joe Lawrence
You may come across a lot of information comparing dentures and implants. These comparisons often speak on which can work best for you. However, you don't have to choose one or the other. Implants and dentures work well together, and just might represent a perfect option for you.
Implants + Dentures = Overdentures
An overdenture is a denture that's anchored by two to six implants. This technique offers people many of the benefits of implants while allowing them to use their dentures more effectively.
The implant benefits from overdentures – Implants in general do a lot for you. They help to stimulate the jawbone, which in turn keeps the resorption process at bay. Implants also help to keep your facial structure intact. They also help to reduce the load that a full or partial set of dentures can place on your remaining teeth and their support structure.
The denture benefits from overdentures – Dentures that have implants to anchor them are far more stable. With the support of the underlying implants, your dentures will remain in place. That stability will help you speak better, eat better, and worry less about the possibility of your dentures falling out or shifting.
In addition, overdentures can help increase your comfort while wearing dentures. You also won't have to worry about dental adhesives.
Are You a Candidate for Overdentures?
As with most dental procedures, there's no fully generic answer to whether you're a candidate for overdentures. Only a dental professional can fully ascertain whether overdentures are a good choice for your tooth loss. The dentist will need to look at your dental history, perform a full examination, and study your x-rays.
It also helps if you express a specific desire for overdentures. That's why it's important that you're aware of your dental options. Knowing about overdentures, or any dental procedure, can help you discuss the possibilities with your dentist. This is as opposed to letting your dentist make all the suggestions.
Where to Start
A good place to start when it comes to overdentures is to speak to a denturist or prosthodontist. You should also speak about the possibility with your regular dentist. Through dialogue and research, you may find that some other dental implant or denture solution will work better for your needs.
Remember there are different kinds of implants, as well as different kinds of dentures. Since your dental needs are unique to you, it's possible that your dentist will recommend a similar but different option than you're expecting.
To learn more, contact a company like The Denture Studio.
Share
Caring for an elderly parent tends to be tough enough without the added stress of dealing with dental implants or dentures. But, the prospect is not the end of the world—there are many things you can do to ensure that your parent's dental health is not compromised without having to spend a lot of personal time doing the care yourself. Between working with the right dentist, hiring a service provider for part time work, and giving your parent the tools he or she needs to care for his or her own dental health at home, you'll find that dental health for your loved one isn't so tough or time consuming after all. Hopefully you are able to get the support and information you need right here.