Dentures: Implants vs. Adhesives

dentures

Dentures are held in by the bone and soft tissue. A suction forms between the two with a small layer of fluid creating a seal. When you lose any or all of your teeth, you also lose bone over time. The changes in size and shape allow for more space to develop between the denture and tissue allowing them to lose their seal.  This leads to the denture shifting and rocking, increasing the chance they could fall out.

Implants Vs. Adhesives

One way to improve this is to add an adhesive that increases the retention of the denture. This is a very short-term solution. A second solution is to have your dentist do a lab reline of the denture. This increases the adaptation of the denture to the bone and tissue, increasing the seal. Over time this will need to be done again; therefore, it is a temporary solution. A long-term solution would be to have some implants placed that would hold a denture or implant supported crowns in place.

Implants lock the teeth in place allowing you to chew at significantly higher forces. They also help hold your bone in place, and you have less bone loss over time. Transitioning to an implant supported denture or bridge would allow you to eat and smile more comfortably without the embarrassment of them being loose. 

About the author

Stacey Sparkman Hall, D.D.S.

Dr. Stacey Hall brings her unique outlook on dental care and her personable optimism to the Williamsburg Center for Dental Health. With nine years of solid dental expertise as a dentist in Williamsburg, she decided in early 2011 to branch out and open her own local practice. After completing her undergraduate degree from Virginia Tech in 1998, Dr. Hall graduated from VCU’s MCV School of Dentistry in 2002, receiving her D.D.S. She is a member of the Academy of General Dentistry, the American Dental Association, and was awarded member fellowship to the International Congress of Oral Implantology in 2008. She leads the elite Tidewater Dawson Study Club and is a scholar with the interntaionally renowned Dawson Academy. As a Dawson ambassador, Dr. Hall also assists in the training of students in the Dawson Academy. Stacey and her husband Michael have been blessed with three beautiful girls, Lanie, Gracie and Abbie. She is a loyal Virginia Tech Football fan, and enjoys Bible study and missions work.