Denture Implants in Port St. Lucie, FL

At St. Lucie Center for Cosmetic Dentistry, we understand the importance of having a confident smile that you can rely on. That's why we offer implant dentures as a solution for those who may have lost some or all of their teeth.

Implant dentures, also known as denture implants, are a permanent solution that can help improve your overall quality of life.

Understanding the Difference

Implant dentures differ from traditional dentures in that they are held securely in place by multiple dental implants. There are two main types of implant dentures: overdentures and hybrid implant dentures. Overdentures are snapped in and out by the patient, while still being securely attached, while hybrid implant dentures are fixed inside the mouth and can only be removed by a dentist.

At our Port St. Lucie, FL, location, we offer both types of implant dentures. We believe that implant dentures offer many benefits over traditional dentures. First and foremost, they provide a much tighter fit, meaning there's no need for adhesives or glue to keep them in place. This improved fit also provides better speech and taste as well as making it easier to chew your food.

Another benefit of implant dentures is that they prevent bone loss and help you maintain a more youthful appearance. Traditional dentures can cause bone loss over time, leading to a sunken-in appearance. Implant dentures, on the other hand, help stimulate the bone, which can help prevent this from happening.

Implant dentures also offer more stability than traditional dentures. You won't have to worry about your dentures falling out or slipping around while you're eating or talking. This can provide a significant boost in confidence as well as eliminate any embarrassing situations.

Understanding the Process

The amount of time it will take to complete your implant supported denture depends on a number of factors. In some cases patients can gain a new smile within 24 hours. Other times it may take six months to one year to complete a case. 

Teeth in a Day is a great solution for patients who are eligible.  Day one will be surgery and implant placement and the following day you will return to the office to have an immediate implant denture placed on the dental implants. The immediate denture will be worn for a few months and will look like natural teeth. In a few months, once the bone and tissue has healed, your final permanent denture will be delivered by your dentist. 

For some patients it is necessary or best to place bone and implants and then wait a few months for healing. During this time the patient will wear a traditional denture. Once the bone and implants are healed then your final denture will be customized to fit the implants.

WHAT IS A DENTAL IMPLANT? 

Dental implants are titanium screws with a hollow internal structure. These screws are used to act as a root structure to hold a crown in place of the missing tooth.

Dental Implants are made of three pieces: the implant body, the abutment and the implant crown.  The implant body is the screw, the abutment is the connection piece between the screw and the crown.  The implant crown is the piece of the implant that looks and functions like your natural teeth. 

WHAT IS AN IMPLANT BRIDGE?

An implant bridge is when two adjacent teeth are dental implants and those teeth are used to connect a hanging tooth aka "pontic" in a space in between.  This is typically done when the space is too small to put a third implant and too large to only use two implants. 

WHY ARE DENTAL IMPLANTS BETTER THAN BRIDGES?

• Dental Implants are highly esthetic
• With a single dental implant you can replace a tooth and not affect the surrounding teeth
• Bridges also can replace a missing tooth, but a bridge requires the two teeth on either side of your missing tooth or teeth to also receive crowns. If your adjacent teeth do not have cavities then putting crowns over them just to cover the gap of missing tooth does not make sense. 
• Tooth implants preserve bone
• Bridges only make sense if the two adjacent teeth have cavities and would benefits from dental crowns. 
• If the teeth on either side bridge fails then the bridge will need to be redone.  We see this happen a lot which is another reason dental implants are often better option to replace a missing tooth.

Dental bridges may be best option for you if: 

• Both teeth on either side of your missing tooth need crowns due to decay
• You are a smoker and dental implants will have high likelihood to fail due to smoking.
• Implant bridge may be best if you have limited space or too much space 
• You have limited time to commit to your treatment. 
  

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET A COMPLETED DENTAL IMPLANT?

A Dental Implant take about 6 months to a year to complete.

The process of getting a dental implant is: 

1) Remove tooth and place bone graft 

Wait 3-4 months to let the bone heal and become integrated.  This is important so that when the implant is placed there is a sturdy surface for implant to hold tightly into.

2) Place implant body 

Wait 3-4 months for implant body to integrate with bone.  This is important so that when the tooth is attached the implant will be stable. 

3) Take impressions for abutment and implant crown

Wait 2-3 weeks for custom parts to be made

4) Return for abutment and crown to be place on implant body.  At this point you have a final tooth. 

In some cases patient may already be missing a tooth.  If there is enough bone then implants may be placed right away. 

Immediate loaded implants or implant crowns placed on the implant the same day the implant body is placed is a possibility.  However, this procedure is much less predicable because the body does not have time to integrate with the bone or implants to become sturdy.  When we bite, chew, and sleep during the night we put great forces on our teeth and therefore there is high chance of loosening an immediately loaded implant. 

HOW LONG DO IMPLANTS LAST? 

In dental training we are often taught implants have an approximately 10-15 year life span.  But our clinical experiences have taught our dentists that they can definitely last longer if properly maintained.

Smoking, uncontrolled diabetes, poor oral health, & uncontrolled periodontal disease are a few factors that lead implant life space to greatly depreciate. 

ARE THERE DIFFERENT KINDS OF DENTAL IMPLANTS?

Yes, there are many different types. We use one of the best dental implants on the market called Zimmer (BioMet). We also use Zest locator implants for our Overdenture cases.

We offer traditional implants and mini dental implants.  Mini implants are good for patients who don't have enough bone or have enough time for multiple dental visits.

A bone graft is used to fill in the empty socket when a tooth is removed. In hopes of replacing that missing space your doctor may recommend a bone graft to preserve that bone. In some cases of wisdom teeth extractions the bone behind the 2nd molars may become compromised depending on the position of the sido me teeth. In these cases your Doctor might also recommend placing some bone to protect the area 

WHERE IS BONE HARVESTED FROM?

Bone graft material is harvested from cadavers and processed and freeze dried, this known as (Allograft). Some material may also be harvested from pig or cow (Xenograft).

WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS TO REPLACE MY MISSING TOOTH? 

• Partial 
• Implant 
• Bridge 
• Essix retainer