Retained Dentures Specialist
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Cumberland Denture Center
Denture Specialist & General Dentistry located in Corbin, KY
Conventional dentures can feel uncomfortable or loose-fitting over time, but not everybody is a good candidate for implant-supported dentures. Fortunately, Paula Gill, DMD, and her expert team at Cumberland Denture Center in Corbin, Kentucky, have the perfect implant denture alternative: retained dentures. Unlike implant-supported dentures, retained dentures require just a few implants in your jaw, giving you the support and stability you need to speak and chew. Call Cumberland Denture Center or schedule an appointment online to learn more.
Retained Dentures Q & A
What are retained dentures?
Conventional dentures sit on top of your gums and mold to the roof of your mouth, so it’s easy for them to shift and irritate your gums. When dentures don’t fit right, they can cause gum inflammation, irritation, and painful sores.
Retained dentures — or implant-retained dentures — connect to dental implants, so they provide much-needed support and stability that help your prosthetic teeth feel natural.
How are retained dentures different from implant-supported dentures?
Both retained dentures and implant-supported dentures are connected to dental implants, but they have a few key differences:
Implant-supported dentures
Implant-supported dentures are designed to take the force of your bite straight into the dental implants and sturdy jawbone, so they require several implants. They’re an excellent option for patients with plenty of healthy tooth-supporting bone. Because you need several implants and healthy jawbone for implant-supported dentures, they’re more expensive than retained dentures.
Retained dentures
Implant-retained dentures also connect to dental implants, but your gums take most of the force from your bite rather than the implants themselves. They require fewer implants than implant-supported dentures and can even be held by mini implants.
Depending on your dental health history and goals, you can opt for removable or fixed retained dentures — meaning your dentures stay attached to your implants just like your natural teeth.
How are retained dentures placed?
Once you decide that implant-retained dentures are right for you, your Cumberland Denture Center specialist takes X-rays and impressions of your mouth to determine the right placement of your dental implants.
At your implant surgery appointment, the team inserts the implants directly into your gums and jawbone for the most secure fit possible. While the healing process varies from person to person, you can expect it to take 6-12 weeks.
After your mouth fully heals, your denture specialist can take new impressions to create an accurate mold for your new dentures. The process to make your dentures takes 3-6 weeks.
Finally, you can return to Cumberland Denture Center to connect your dentures to your implants. Depending on your unique plan, you can choose either fixed or removable dentures.
Implant-retained dentures can help restore your smile without the high cost of their implant-supported counterparts. For more information, call Cumberland Denture Center or book a consultation online.
