Implant-retained and implant-supported Overdentures or Hybrid Dentures are better for your oral health.

Failure to clean below the gum line may leave you suffering gum disease, bone loss and eventual tooth loss. If caring for your oral health fails you may have further options than the standard dentures. Implant-retained and implant-supported overdentures or hybrid dentures could be a great option for you.

While conventional dentures and bridgework may replace the missing teeth, these prosthetic replacements fail to replace the roots of the missing teeth and therefore the underlying bone is no longer loaded when you chew.  Bone that is not loaded gradually disappears (erodes away), a process known as “disuse atrophy”.  Such bone loss means there is a poor foundation for a denture and there is likely to be insufficient bone to accommodate dental implants to replace the missing teeth.

Lost bone is hard to replace.  The only way the missing bone can be replaced is through a process of bone regeneration achieved by bone grafting surgery.

Implant-retained (and implant-supported) dentures can offer the ideal solution to tooth loss.  Whether a single tooth or multiple teeth are missing, they may be replaced either by crowns on the implants or by using the implants to retain or support a denture.  Such implant retained or supported dentures are generally known as implant-retained overdentures or implant-supported overdentures or Hybrid dentures.

Replacing teeth is a part of looking after your oral health

Your teeth aren’t just necessary for chewing: they also impact your speech and the health and integrity of your entire jaw. Missing teeth result in poor function, difficulty in eating, poorer appearance, a change in the bone profile of the jaw and hence the appearance of “falling-in” of the facial soft tissues with the appearance of early ageing, not to mention lost self-esteem.

With implant-retained or implant-supported overdentures, res you look after your jaw, your remaining teeth, your bite and your appearance. The implant supports your jaw and the denture attached gives you back full function.

At NQ Surgical Dentistry in Townsville, we offer implant-supported and implant-retained overdentures

Implant-retained overdentures involve placing dental implants in the jaw and then attaching the denture to the implants using precision attachments. These implant-retained overdentures are highly stable and do not move during functions including chewing, smiling, laughing.  Your self-confidence is once again restored.

An implant-supported overdenture is a smaller, more natural-feeling tooth replacement option. By being able to remove the dentures, patients are able to achieve far more effective plaque control around the implants and precision attachments. This then allows you to maintain the health of the soft tissues around the implants and hence the bone remains in a healthy state and will provide years of support for the implants.

The advantages of implant-retained and implant-supported overdentures

The advantages of implant-supported dentures are:

• Improved speech and confidence
• Loading jawbone thereby maintaining bone structure
• Restoring the ability to eat all the foods you enjoy
• Ending the inconvenience of denture adhesives

At NQ Surgical Dentistry in Townsville, Dr Colin Priestland has a special interest in implant dentistry and is one of the first dental surgeons in Australia to use Piezo-bone surgery for the placement of implants and jawbone grafts.

This allows bone surgery to take place without damaging the bone and achieving faster healing after surgery. The advantages are that implants can be used to support crowns, bridges and dentures after a shorter healing period: as well as suffering less post-operative discomfort and swelling.

Visiting NQ Surgical Dentistry for implant-supported overdentures

We welcome patients from all over the state to our practice for dental implants and implant-supported overdentures. When you have implant dentistry treatment at our Townsville practice, our in-house hygienist provides a free appointment to ensure you understand the most effective methods for cleaning both your dental implants and the attachments placed on them.

To find out more about NQ Surgical Dentistry’s implant dentistry options, or to book an appointment, please don’t hesitate to contact the friendly team at NQ Surgical Dentistry today on (07) 4725 1656 or call in to see us at 183 Kings Rd, Pimlico QLD 4812