Patients with substantial bone loss in the lower jaw who wear traditional lower dentures often deal with several issues, including difficulty holding them in place, trouble with speaking and eating, pain especially from pressure spots and friction, and sores caused by rubbing. Some patients are able to have implants in the lower jaw that can be used with fixed bridges, denture prostheses, removable dentures to help restore function in the jaw when the teeth are missing.
Use of dentures that are supported by 2 to 4 implants has has been proven approximately 96% successful for oral restoration.
The problem is that the jaws of patients without teeth tend to lose bone over time. Successful placement of implants requires a certain amount of bone and insufficient bone compromises the number and type of implants that can be used. Standard implants require invasive surgery to place and may require additional surgery to transplant additional bone in the jaw before the implants can be placed in order to hold them. Either surgery can cause surgical complications especially in elderly patients or those whose health is compromised.
There are now smaller diameter implants that can support existing dentures and can be placed without surgery. Smaller implants require less bone for support and standard implants. Placing the smaller implants causes minimal bleeding and significantly less pain. Because they are so much easier, they cost less.
This study was conducted on data from an Implant Dentistry Database kept by the New York University College of Dentistry Kriser Dental Center’s Department of Periodontology and Implant Dentistry. The data had no identifying information in compliance with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements. The database information is certified by the Office of Quality Assurance at the University.
Questionnaires were given to, and completed by patients two months after placement of small-diameter implants. The patients reported wearing the dentures for greater portions of the day than patients with traditional ventures. Patients also reported greater satisfaction, with increased retention, greater comfort, and less use of adhesive. Patients also indicated that they had better contact between upper and lower teeth. Finally, it was reported that patients with implant supported dentures easier to understand than those with traditional dentures. Patients reported greater comfort overall and increased confidence with implants as opposed to traditional dentures.
