Missing All Lower or Upper Teeth

Treatment OPtions for missing lower Teeth

Although many patients have no problem wearing an upper denture, some people find it difficult to wear and eat with lower dentures. Several implant-supported replacement options are available if you are missing all of your lower teeth.  Generally, patients must wait at least 3-6 months for the implants to heal to the bone before receiving the final replacement teeth (prosthesis).  During this healing time, it is possible to wear a temporary prosthesis.  This option would be discussed with you during the consultation appointment.

Overdenture

One option is to have two implants placed in your lower jaw and a denture made that snaps onto these implants (called an overdenture). This option allows your lower denture to be more stable while chewing than without implants. However, there may still be mild movement of your lower denture. Placing three or even four implants will improve the stability and the ability to chew harder foods. As with all removable replacement teeth, you still will need periodic appointments for denture adjustment with your denturist, dentist or prosthodontist.  

Overdenture Attached to a Bar

Another type of overdenture snaps onto a metal bar that is connected to the implants. Your denture will be made with special internal retention clips that attach onto the support bar, enabling the denture to snap firmly into place. The advantage of this option is that it is much more stable than the first option. Your denture is still removable for easy cleaning and maintenance.

Screw Retained Bridge

A third option involves placing four or more implants in your jaw and attaching a permanent denture. Your denture is held in place by screws or clasps that secure it to the support posts or bar. It doesn’t touch the gum tissue, which allows you to clean under the denture without removing it. This denture will replace all your missing lower teeth and will not be removed except at maintenance visits. Although cleaning under your denture without removing it is more time consuming and requires more dexterity, many patients who want a permanent denture prefer this option.

Individual Implants

The final option is to have all your teeth individually replaced so that they will appear to be growing out of your gum tissue and will most closely resemble the appearance of your natural teeth. This option usually requires eight or more implants. Overall, this is the costliest option, because it requires the most implants and individual replacement tooth fabrication. The ability to replace each tooth with a dental implant may be limited by the current size and shape of your jawbone and gum tissue.  Sometimes, bone and soft tissue grafts may be required.

What If I’m Missing All Of My Upper Teeth?

A similar range of treatment options is also available for your upper jaw. However, because the bone is not as hard as that in the lower jaw, people often need more implants to support their new replacement teeth.