Have you ever used an umbrella that flips inside out with the slightest gust of wind? Or worn shoes that slip off no matter how you try to adjust them? Everyday items are only helpful when they do their job. The same is certainly true for dentures. Traditional dentures may restore your smile, but they often shift out of place and limit your ability to bite and chew the way you used to. That instability and reduced bite force can turn simple meals into a source of frustration. But you donโt have to settle for dentures that slide and shift. Snap-in dentures provide a secure and long-term solution. They attach firmly to dental implants, restoring a stable smile and strong bite.
The Limitations of Traditional Dentures
Many people rely on dentures to restore their smile, speak clearly, and eat a more diverse diet. But if dentures are such a widely used treatment for tooth loss, why do so many patients complain about their dentures slipping and sliding? And why are so many folks forced to use adhesives to try to keep their teeth from moving?
The answer has to do with how dentures are designed. A traditional full denture is made to fit closely over the gums and jawbone where the teeth are missing. It stays in place by creating a seal, similar to a gentle suction cup, using the natural moisture in your mouth. The dentureโs edges rest snugly against the gums and jaw ridge to create this seal and keep the denture from slipping.
Hereโs the problem: dentures fit the shape of your mouth when theyโre first made, but after tooth loss, your jawbone deteriorates because the tooth roots are no longer there to stimulate it. As a result, dentures that once fit well start to loosen.
As dentures become loose and no longer fit properly, they start to feel unstable. This instability can cause constant worry, leaving you unsure if your dentures will stay in place while talking, eating, laughing, or even coughing. It also weakens your bite, making it hard to enjoy foods that are crunchy, chewy, or require strong chewing.
Some people opt for denture glue or have their dentures adjusted or remade, but these are short-term fixes. Fortunately, thereโs a better solution that uses the stability of dental implants to keep your dentures secure.
What Are Snap-In Dentures and Why Do Patients Prefer Them?
Snap-in dentures are a type of implant denture system. Like a traditional denture, the restoration is made from acrylic. However, the underside of the denture contains special housings that allow the denture to snap onto dental implants with rubber O-rings.
Because the implants anchor the denture and prevent it from sliding, we can remove some of the acrylic material, making it feel less bulky. For an upper denture, the plate that normally covers the roof of your mouth is no longer needed, so youโll be able to taste your food more fully.
An important benefit of snap-in dentures is that the implants are positioned in the jawbone, where they replace the natural tooth roots. This means the bone receives the stimulation it needs to stay strong! This firm connection to the jawbone also significantly improves your bite power.
Think of it this way: just like exercise keeps your muscles strong, biting and chewing with implants keeps your jawbone active and healthy. This firm connection doesnโt just prevent bone loss. It also gives you much more bite strength, so you can enjoy foods that would be difficult or impossible to eat with traditional dentures.
Why We Use Mini Dental Implants
At West Wind Dental, a Mini Dental Implant Center of America, we tend to prefer mini dental implants for snap-in dentures. Because theyโre about half the width of traditional implants, mini implants are ideal for patients who have experienced bone loss. We can position the implants in the available bone, making most patients good candidates.
These one-piece implants also offer additional advantages over traditional two-piece implants:
- Less invasive placement
- Faster healing time
- Quicker results
- Reduced cost
- Lower risk of complications
The Process of Getting Snap-In Dentures
The process of getting snap-in dentures is more straightforward than you might expect. It starts with a free consultation, where weโll talk to you about your concerns and goals, take a detailed 3D CBCT scan, and design your treatment plan.
When you come in for your implant placement, weโll numb the treatment area and extract any teeth that need to come out. We then make small holes where weโll place the implants. For an upper denture, we typically place six mini dental implants, and for a bottom denture, we generally place four mini implants. For those who donโt currently wear dentures, weโll place a temporary denture on the same day, so you donโt have to go without teeth while your custom restoration is being made.
If you have an existing denture, we may be able to retrofit it to snap onto the implants. For this denture stabilization process, weโll place the implants and mark the existing denture to indicate the implant locations. Weโll hollow out those areas, add the housings, and snap the denture onto your implants with O-rings.
Weโll evaluate you as you heal to make sure everything is progressing smoothly. Once youโve recovered, youโll enjoy all the benefits that a stable denture brings. You can eat corn on the cob, chew steaks, and enjoy things you havenโt had for a long time!
Ready for a Denture That Stays Put? Letโs Get Started!
A denture shouldnโt be anything like an umbrella that folds with the wind or shoes that just wonโt stay on. Unfortunately, many people struggle with dentures that just arenโt doing their job. If you have an unstable denture or need to replace a full arch of missing teeth, itโs time to consider snap-in dentures. They provide the secure fit and strong bite you need to enjoy life without constant slipping, shifting, or worrying about what you can eat.
Unlike traditional dentures, which lose stability as your jawbone changes, snap-in dentures are anchored by mini dental implants that keep your denture steady and your bite strong.
Ready to experience the difference for yourself? Schedule a free consultation at West Wind Dental today to take the next step.
