Have you ever heard a denture wearer complain about their false teeth? Sometimes besides the superlatives they will exclaim “I wish the dentist could just glue these darn things in permanently so they would stay put.” Well that day has arrived. As the art of implant dentistry has improved along with most dental materials the ability to replace teeth has become more technically possible. Working as a team dentists and laboratory technicians can replace teeth that have been lost, with dentures that are secured semi-permanently (at least they aren’t taken in and out by the patient). These dentures are called hybrid dentures. Four to six implants are strategically place around the dental arch of missing teeth. A denture is made that has specialized attachments to connect to the implants. After the denture is fitted and adjusted it is then screwed or attached on to the implants. The holes through the denture are then filled in with acrylic and polished. The advantages are as follows. Instead of ten to fourteen individual implants with crowns and bridges attached, only four to six implants are required. This is less expensive and more possible when the patient doesn’t have enough bone or sinuses to dodge. The shape of the dentures can be made to be much smaller than a regular denture not covering the persons pallet or go around the sides of the dental arch. They are cleanable and maintainable. You do not have to take them in our out to clean and of course they stay absolutely in place. Should there be a problem they can be removed serviced, cleaned and replaced. This is a more complex procedure then a denture held in with mini implants. I team up with by dental technician and an oral surgeon to assure the finest of results for the patient.
