Gum disease is one of the most common chronic illnesses affecting Americans today. About half of all American adults suffer from some degree of gum disease. Interestingly, about half of all American adults are women. 

However, they’re not the same half. Men experience gum disease, too. Even here in Chula Vista (it’s one of the diseases that our Southern California lifestyle doesn’t protect us from). Since gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss among adults and can contribute to numerous serious health risks, it’s important to understand it. 

What Is Gum Disease?

Gum disease is when oral bacteria infect the space around your tooth. That’s why it’s also known as periodontal disease: “perio” means “around” and “dontal” means “tooth.” However, as we’ll see, periodontal disease isn’t just related to bacterial infection. 

There are three types of gum disease. 

Gingivitis

Gingivitis is a relatively mild form of gum disease. In gingivitis, you might notice red, swollen, painful gums. Your Chula Vista dentist might measure an enlargement of the spaces around your teeth. That’s because oral bacteria are attacking your gums to make more room for themselves. This reduces the amount of attachment between your teeth and jaw. However, your teeth likely aren’t loose yet. 

Gums bleed in response to brushing and certain foods, but they don’t bleed spontaneously in gingivitis. You also have only minor gum recession, if any. 

Periodontitis

Periodontitis is a severe form of gum disease. In periodontitis, you experience symptoms not only of bacterial infection but of the body’s elevated immune response. Chronic inflammation can put you at risk for autoimmune disorders. The body begins to attack the gums and jawbone in a “scorched earth” campaign to kill the increasingly severe bacterial infection. 

Gums bleed spontaneously. You’ll have noticeable gum recession. Teeth drift out of place and may be noticeably loose. You might also experience sensitivity to heat, cold, and pressure. Eventually, you will lose teeth. 

Peri-implantitis

Peri-implantitis is when gum disease develops around dental implants. Dental implants don’t get cavities, but they are still vulnerable to gum disease. In fact, gum disease is the leading cause of dental implant failure after the first year. 

Scientists aren’t sure if peri-implantitis is the same disease as periodontal disease. The symptoms are very similar: inflamed gums that eventually recede, plus loss of bone around the implant leading to implant loss. However, some scientists claim the bacteria involved are different enough that we should consider them different conditions.

How Gum Disease Risk Can Change over a Woman’s Lifetime

A number of factors influence a woman’s periodontal health. In addition to diet and oral hygiene habits, a woman’s hormone levels can contribute to her gum disease risk. The two hormones that contribute to periodontal gum disease in women are the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. Both of these increase blood flow to the gum tissue, causing its increased sensitivity to bacteria and other offending agents.

In addition, some studies say increased levels of estrogen and progesterone actually promote the growth of disease-causing bacteria. As a result, the gums become easily swollen.

The following conditions are some of the instances where women’s hormones fluctuate, causing them to be more susceptible to periodontal disease.

Puberty:

During puberty, there is an increased level of progesterone which causes the gums to appear red and swollen. Gums are also likely to bleed easily upon slight manipulation. This reaction of the gum tissue can easily be reversed by removing the irritant. This can be done through meticulous oral hygiene practices and regular professional cleaning by your Chula Vista dentist.

Nonetheless, as the pubertal period ends, this reaction tends to lessen. Even so, it is still important to take good care of your oral health.

Menstruation:

Some women may also experience menstruation gingivitis. This gingivitis appears about three to four days before a woman’s period and begins to clear up after her period ends.

In some cases, the salivary glands may also become swollen.  While the tongue and the inside of the cheek may develop painful sores. Some women, though, don’t experience any changes at all. For those who experience any discomfort, your Chula Vista dentist may recommend cleaning, topical anesthetics, or other special treatments to provide some relief.

Pregnancy:

Numerous studies have long suggested pregnancy as a possible risk factor for periodontal gum disease, as it causes hormone levels to rise considerably. Gingivitis is present during the second month of pregnancy up to the eighth month, and it starts to wane during the ninth month.

To control the disease, your Chula Vista dentist may prescribe more frequent cleaning visits to control the disease, especially during the second trimester or early third trimester. Sometimes, an overgrowth of tissue called a “pregnancy tumor” may appear during the second trimester.

The association between these two conditions is a two-way street as hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy may predispose to periodontal disease, while an infectious disease like periodontal disease poses a risk to the unborn baby’s health.

According to studies, periodontal disease causes pregnant women to have premature and/or low birth weight babies. Expectant mothers need to take special care of their oral health. 

Menopause:

A small percentage may also develop menopausal gingivostomatitis, which is described as dry, shiny gums that bleed easily. The color of the gums ranges from very pale to deep red. According to some experts, supplementation with estrogen may help relieve symptoms.

Maintain Oral Health in Chula Vista

Every phase of a woman’s life brings about many good changes, while others may present challenges for maintaining oral health.

Talk to your Chula Vista dentist or periodontist if you start to see or feel any changes that you think may be related to any of the conditions above. They will be more than happy to address any concerns regarding your oral health.

For help achieving and maintaining oral health in Chula Vista, please call (619) 656-6785 or online to schedule an appointment at our office in the Rancho del Rey neighborhood.

Gum disease is one of the most common chronic illnesses affecting Americans today. About half of all American adults suffer from some degree of gum disease. Interestingly, about half of all American adults are women. 

However, they’re not the same half. Men experience gum disease, too. Even here in Chula Vista (it’s one of the diseases that our Southern California lifestyle doesn’t protect us from). Since gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss among adults and can contribute to numerous serious health risks, it’s important to understand it. 

What Is Gum Disease?

Gum disease is when oral bacteria infect the space around your tooth. That’s why it’s also known as periodontal disease: “perio” means “around” and “dontal” means “tooth.” However, as we’ll see, periodontal disease isn’t just related to bacterial infection. 

There are three types of gum disease. 

Gingivitis

Gingivitis is a relatively mild form of gum disease. In gingivitis, you might notice red, swollen, painful gums. Your Chula Vista dentist might measure an enlargement of the spaces around your teeth. That’s because oral bacteria are attacking your gums to make more room for themselves. This reduces the amount of attachment between your teeth and jaw. However, your teeth likely aren’t loose yet. 

Gums bleed in response to brushing and certain foods, but they don’t bleed spontaneously in gingivitis. You also have only minor gum recession, if any. 

Periodontitis

Periodontitis is a severe form of gum disease. In periodontitis, you experience symptoms not only of bacterial infection but of the body’s elevated immune response. Chronic inflammation can put you at risk for autoimmune disorders. The body begins to attack the gums and jawbone in a “scorched earth” campaign to kill the increasingly severe bacterial infection. 

Gums bleed spontaneously. You’ll have noticeable gum recession. Teeth drift out of place and may be noticeably loose. You might also experience sensitivity to heat, cold, and pressure. Eventually, you will lose teeth. 

Peri-implantitis

Peri-implantitis is when gum disease develops around dental implants. Dental implants don’t get cavities, but they are still vulnerable to gum disease. In fact, gum disease is the leading cause of dental implant failure after the first year. 

Scientists aren’t sure if peri-implantitis is the same disease as periodontal disease. The symptoms are very similar: inflamed gums that eventually recede, plus loss of bone around the implant leading to implant loss. However, some scientists claim the bacteria involved are different enough that we should consider them different conditions.

How Gum Disease Risk Can Change over a Woman’s Lifetime

A number of factors influence a woman’s periodontal health. In addition to diet and oral hygiene habits, a woman’s hormone levels can contribute to her gum disease risk. The two hormones that contribute to periodontal gum disease in women are the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. Both of these increase blood flow to the gum tissue, causing its increased sensitivity to bacteria and other offending agents.

In addition, some studies say increased levels of estrogen and progesterone actually promote the growth of disease-causing bacteria. As a result, the gums become easily swollen.

The following conditions are some of the instances where women’s hormones fluctuate, causing them to be more susceptible to periodontal disease.

Puberty:

During puberty, there is an increased level of progesterone which causes the gums to appear red and swollen. Gums are also likely to bleed easily upon slight manipulation. This reaction of the gum tissue can easily be reversed by removing the irritant. This can be done through meticulous oral hygiene practices and regular professional cleaning by your Chula Vista dentist.

Nonetheless, as the pubertal period ends, this reaction tends to lessen. Even so, it is still important to take good care of your oral health.

Menstruation:

Some women may also experience menstruation gingivitis. This gingivitis appears about three to four days before a woman’s period and begins to clear up after her period ends.

In some cases, the salivary glands may also become swollen.  While the tongue and the inside of the cheek may develop painful sores. Some women, though, don’t experience any changes at all. For those who experience any discomfort, your Chula Vista dentist may recommend cleaning, topical anesthetics, or other special treatments to provide some relief.

Pregnancy:

Numerous studies have long suggested pregnancy as a possible risk factor for periodontal gum disease, as it causes hormone levels to rise considerably. Gingivitis is present during the second month of pregnancy up to the eighth month, and it starts to wane during the ninth month.

To control the disease, your Chula Vista dentist may prescribe more frequent cleaning visits to control the disease, especially during the second trimester or early third trimester. Sometimes, an overgrowth of tissue called a “pregnancy tumor” may appear during the second trimester.

The association between these two conditions is a two-way street as hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy may predispose to periodontal disease, while an infectious disease like periodontal disease poses a risk to the unborn baby’s health.

According to studies, periodontal disease causes pregnant women to have premature and/or low birth weight babies. Expectant mothers need to take special care of their oral health. 

Menopause:

A small percentage may also develop menopausal gingivostomatitis, which is described as dry, shiny gums that bleed easily. The color of the gums ranges from very pale to deep red. According to some experts, supplementation with estrogen may help relieve symptoms.

Maintain Oral Health in Chula Vista

Every phase of a woman’s life brings about many good changes, while others may present challenges for maintaining oral health.

Talk to your Chula Vista dentist or periodontist if you start to see or feel any changes that you think may be related to any of the conditions above. They will be more than happy to address any concerns regarding your oral health.

For help achieving and maintaining oral health in Chula Vista, please call (619) 656-6785 or online to schedule an appointment at our office in the Rancho del Rey neighborhood.

Straight teeth aren’t just beautiful teeth; they’re healthy teeth. When teeth are straight, they are easier to clean and less likely to get food stuck. This means you are less likely to have excess oral bacteria on your teeth, leading to cavities and gum disease. In fact, some studies suggest that people who use orthodontics to straighten their teeth might lower their risk of gum disease by nearly 50%. In addition, straight teeth are better at sharing the work of biting and chewing. You’ll not only have more effective biting and chewing, but you may also be less likely to experience chipped and cracked teeth.

Once you understand the benefits of orthodontics, you might be considering getting them for you or your child. The only difficulty now is understanding the options so that you can choose the best one to achieve your treatment goals.

Here are some of the orthodontic options we offer.

Early Orthodontic Treatment

Sometimes it’s best not to wait too long to get started on orthodontic treatment. Instead of waiting for teeth to come in crooked or crowded, you might want to start orthodontic treatment that lays the groundwork for your child’s healthy, straight smile.

In this case, we might recommend early orthodontic treatment, also called interceptive orthodontic treatment or early interceptive treatment. Early orthodontic treatment describes any orthodontic treatment that we perform while your child still has some baby teeth in their mouth. Instead of waiting for your child’s adult teeth to come in crooked and straighten them, we realign your child’s baby teeth so they can better guide in the adult teeth. We might also encourage the development of your child’s jaws, taking advantage of the body’s natural growth mechanisms to help it achieve optimal size, shape, and spacing for teeth.

This might include the use of fixed or removable appliances or sometimes the extraction of baby teeth.

Fixed and Removable Appliances

Appliances are the name for any orthodontic treatment tool placed in your mouth. Braces are the most common and well-known orthodontic appliance. Braces are fixed appliances because we bond them to the teeth, so you can’t remove them.

Removable appliances are the opposite: they are not bonded to teeth so that you or your child can remove them. Removable appliances make some tasks easier with orthodontics, like cleaning your teeth and eating. However, removable appliances require discipline: the wearer must use the appliance often enough to achieve the desired results. Usually, this means wearing your appliance as much as 22 hours a day.

There are many different types of appliances we offer. We’ll talk about some of them in more detail.

Space Maintainers

In an ideal situation, your child will lose their baby teeth when their adult teeth are ready to move into their place. In this situation, the adult tooth immediately takes the baby tooth’s place. It’s already able to hold the other teeth out of the way.

However, sometimes your child loses a baby tooth before the adult tooth is in a position to hold its own place. In that case, we use space maintainers to keep the space ready for the adult tooth.

Functional and Orthopedic Orthodontics

Functional orthodontics and orthopedic orthodontics are closely related in their goals and methods. Both seek to do more than just move teeth: they want to encourage the growth and development of your jaws. The goal isn’t just to make sure there’s enough room for straight teeth. With these types of orthodontics, we are also trying to change the size and shape of other structures, such as facial structures and the airway, to ensure proper jaw function and breathing.

If necessary, we’ll explain the differences in more detail when you are considering options to understand which one is best for you or your child.

Invisalign Clear Orthodontics

Invisalign is a type of removable orthodontic appliance. Instead of having brackets bonded to your teeth that hold a metal wire to encourage tooth movement, you will use clear plastic aligners.

After your initial exam, we will send your information to Invisalign, where advanced computer algorithms will design a precise sequence of tooth movements to get your smile from its current configuration into your desired straight alignment. Each step in the sequence is turned into a certain aligner that you will wear for a week or two until it accomplishes the necessary movement.

Invisalign offers many benefits over traditional orthodontics. However, it’s not right for every type of tooth movement, so you might not be a good candidate for this option in some cases.

Get the Best Orthodontics for You or Your Child in San Diego

If you are looking to straighten your teeth, improve your bite, or achieve other benefits for you or your child, let a San Diego cosmetic dentist at Irresistible Smiles help. We can evaluate your teeth or your child’s to determine the best approach to achieve your desired goals. Then we’ll either start treatment at our office or refer you to a trusted treatment partner.

Please call (619) 656-6785 or use our online form to request an appointment at our San Diego office.

Straight teeth aren’t just beautiful teeth; they’re healthy teeth. When teeth are straight, they are easier to clean and less likely to get food stuck. This means you are less likely to have excess oral bacteria on your teeth, leading to cavities and gum disease. In fact, some studies suggest that people who use orthodontics to straighten their teeth might lower their risk of gum disease by nearly 50%. In addition, straight teeth are better at sharing the work of biting and chewing. You’ll not only have more effective biting and chewing, but you may also be less likely to experience chipped and cracked teeth.

Once you understand the benefits of orthodontics, you might be considering getting them for you or your child. The only difficulty now is understanding the options so that you can choose the best one to achieve your treatment goals.

Here are some of the orthodontic options we offer.

Early Orthodontic Treatment

Sometimes it’s best not to wait too long to get started on orthodontic treatment. Instead of waiting for teeth to come in crooked or crowded, you might want to start orthodontic treatment that lays the groundwork for your child’s healthy, straight smile.

In this case, we might recommend early orthodontic treatment, also called interceptive orthodontic treatment or early interceptive treatment. Early orthodontic treatment describes any orthodontic treatment that we perform while your child still has some baby teeth in their mouth. Instead of waiting for your child’s adult teeth to come in crooked and straighten them, we realign your child’s baby teeth so they can better guide in the adult teeth. We might also encourage the development of your child’s jaws, taking advantage of the body’s natural growth mechanisms to help it achieve optimal size, shape, and spacing for teeth.

This might include the use of fixed or removable appliances or sometimes the extraction of baby teeth.

Fixed and Removable Appliances

Appliances are the name for any orthodontic treatment tool placed in your mouth. Braces are the most common and well-known orthodontic appliance. Braces are fixed appliances because we bond them to the teeth, so you can’t remove them.

Removable appliances are the opposite: they are not bonded to teeth so that you or your child can remove them. Removable appliances make some tasks easier with orthodontics, like cleaning your teeth and eating. However, removable appliances require discipline: the wearer must use the appliance often enough to achieve the desired results. Usually, this means wearing your appliance as much as 22 hours a day.

There are many different types of appliances we offer. We’ll talk about some of them in more detail.

Space Maintainers

In an ideal situation, your child will lose their baby teeth when their adult teeth are ready to move into their place. In this situation, the adult tooth immediately takes the baby tooth’s place. It’s already able to hold the other teeth out of the way.

However, sometimes your child loses a baby tooth before the adult tooth is in a position to hold its own place. In that case, we use space maintainers to keep the space ready for the adult tooth.

Functional and Orthopedic Orthodontics

Functional orthodontics and orthopedic orthodontics are closely related in their goals and methods. Both seek to do more than just move teeth: they want to encourage the growth and development of your jaws. The goal isn’t just to make sure there’s enough room for straight teeth. With these types of orthodontics, we are also trying to change the size and shape of other structures, such as facial structures and the airway, to ensure proper jaw function and breathing.

If necessary, we’ll explain the differences in more detail when you are considering options to understand which one is best for you or your child.

Invisalign Clear Orthodontics

Invisalign is a type of removable orthodontic appliance. Instead of having brackets bonded to your teeth that hold a metal wire to encourage tooth movement, you will use clear plastic aligners.

After your initial exam, we will send your information to Invisalign, where advanced computer algorithms will design a precise sequence of tooth movements to get your smile from its current configuration into your desired straight alignment. Each step in the sequence is turned into a certain aligner that you will wear for a week or two until it accomplishes the necessary movement.

Invisalign offers many benefits over traditional orthodontics. However, it’s not right for every type of tooth movement, so you might not be a good candidate for this option in some cases.

Get the Best Orthodontics for You or Your Child in San Diego

If you are looking to straighten your teeth, improve your bite, or achieve other benefits for you or your child, let a San Diego cosmetic dentist at Irresistible Smiles help. We can evaluate your teeth or your child’s to determine the best approach to achieve your desired goals. Then we’ll either start treatment at our office or refer you to a trusted treatment partner.

Please call (619) 656-6785 or use our online form to request an appointment at our San Diego office.

What Are Implant-Supported Dentures?

Implant dentures don’t just sit on your gums; dental implants secure them. Dental implants are screws made of titanium that an implant dentist places in your jawbone. The bone attaches to the dental implant, bonding it securely in place.

We can further distinguish implant dentures between implant-retained dentures and implant-supported dentures.

Implant-retained dentures use dental implants to secure the denture in place. This keeps them from slipping out of place when chewing, talking, or laughing. However, much of the force of biting and chewing still presses on the gums.

Implant-supported dentures don’t just use dental implants to secure the denture. Instead, implant-supported dentures direct bite force into the bones. The tradeoff is that these require more dental implants than implant-retained dentures. Implant-retained dentures might require as few as two dental implants. Implant-supported dentures need four, six, or eight dental implants to provide support.

Implant-supported dentures also need to be stronger to withstand the increased bite force. You can often modify traditional dentures into implant-retained dentures, but implant-supported dentures often require an entirely new denture.

Note: not all dentists clearly distinguish between the types of implant dentures. Talk to your dentist about how your implant dentures will function, so you understand what to expect.

Benefits of Implant-Supported Dentures

Implant-supported dentures offer the following benefits over conventional dentures:

• Greater comfort
• Preservation of bone
• Secured fit
• Improved function
• Improved sense of taste

Implant-retained dentures also offer some of these benefits, but not all.

Greater Comfort

Many people experience pain with their traditional dentures. Bite forces on tender gums, as well as loose dentures sliding around, can all cause denture pain.

Implant-supported dentures are secure in the mouth, so they don’t cause pain from sliding around. In addition, implant-supported dentures direct bite force into the jawbone, taking the pressure without experiencing pain.

Implant-supported dentures don’t have to cover your upper palate fully and are free of denture adhesive. You’ll feel freer and more comfortable with implant-supported dentures.

Preservation of Bone

Implant-supported dentures preserve the remaining underlying bone by encouraging bone growth and preventing bone loss. Bite force stimulates the bone, so the body retains or builds up the bone around implants. The amount of bone your implant dentures retain depends on how many implants you have.

Traditional dentures just sit on the top of the gums, and they can’t do anything to prevent bone loss which eventually leads to premature aging, facial sagging, and loss of function.

Secure Fit

Dental implants integrate with your natural bone, so they are very secure. Dental implants are essentially permanent attachments to your jawbone. Implant dentures attach securely to the dental implants.

An implant-supported denture won’t slip, slide, or fall off no matter how much you talk, laugh, or chew. This will give you more confidence to face other people. Most implant dentures are still removable. It’s relatively easy once you know how. However, some implant dentures can be securely attached to your implants so that only your dentist can remove them.

Excellent Restoration of Function

Because they’re more stable and secure than traditional dentures, implant-supported dentures can better restore function.

According to studies, implant-retained dentures restore as much as 95% of normal function (that is, the biting and chewing ability normally provided by natural teeth) versus the 25% of their traditional counterparts.

Improved Sense of Taste

Your sense of taste doesn’t just depend on your tongue. Your palate–the roof of your mouth–also plays an integral part in your sense of taste. Because implant-supported dentures cover less of your upper palate, you will have less interference with the taste of food. Plus, you can stop using denture adhesive, which interferes with your taste sense.

You can, therefore, enjoy a wider variety of food with implant dentures.

You can enjoy almost all the foods you used to eat when you had your natural teeth.

How Much Do Implant-Supported Dentures Cost?

It may be costlier to replace missing teeth with an implant-supported denture, but it pays off tremendously in the long run, given the benefits listed above.

There will be less need for relining, rebasing, or replacements with implant-supported dentures.

As long as you practice good oral hygiene and you visit your dentist regularly, your implant-supported denture can even last nearly a lifetime. Some implant-supported dentures show up to 80% survival after 30 years, and dental implants last 50 years or more.

Even with all the advantages of an implant-supported denture, some patients still feel that a traditional denture is more suitable for their case.

Ultimately, you should work with your denture dentist to determine which type of dentures is best for you.

Get Implant-Supported Dentures in San Diego

If you are unhappy with either the thought or reality of traditional dentures and want to learn about better options, make an appointment with an implant dentist at Irresistible Smiles in San Diego.

Please call (619) 656-6785 or email us with our online contact form to schedule an appointment at our office in San Diego.

What Are Implant-Supported Dentures?

Implant dentures don’t just sit on your gums; dental implants secure them. Dental implants are screws made of titanium that an implant dentist places in your jawbone. The bone attaches to the dental implant, bonding it securely in place.

We can further distinguish implant dentures between implant-retained dentures and implant-supported dentures.

Implant-retained dentures use dental implants to secure the denture in place. This keeps them from slipping out of place when chewing, talking, or laughing. However, much of the force of biting and chewing still presses on the gums.

Implant-supported dentures don’t just use dental implants to secure the denture. Instead, implant-supported dentures direct bite force into the bones. The tradeoff is that these require more dental implants than implant-retained dentures. Implant-retained dentures might require as few as two dental implants. Implant-supported dentures need four, six, or eight dental implants to provide support.

Implant-supported dentures also need to be stronger to withstand the increased bite force. You can often modify traditional dentures into implant-retained dentures, but implant-supported dentures often require an entirely new denture.

Note: not all dentists clearly distinguish between the types of implant dentures. Talk to your dentist about how your implant dentures will function, so you understand what to expect.

Benefits of Implant-Supported Dentures

Implant-supported dentures offer the following benefits over conventional dentures:

• Greater comfort
• Preservation of bone
• Secured fit
• Improved function
• Improved sense of taste

Implant-retained dentures also offer some of these benefits, but not all.

Greater Comfort

Many people experience pain with their traditional dentures. Bite forces on tender gums, as well as loose dentures sliding around, can all cause denture pain.

Implant-supported dentures are secure in the mouth, so they don’t cause pain from sliding around. In addition, implant-supported dentures direct bite force into the jawbone, taking the pressure without experiencing pain.

Implant-supported dentures don’t have to cover your upper palate fully and are free of denture adhesive. You’ll feel freer and more comfortable with implant-supported dentures.

Preservation of Bone

Implant-supported dentures preserve the remaining underlying bone by encouraging bone growth and preventing bone loss. Bite force stimulates the bone, so the body retains or builds up the bone around implants. The amount of bone your implant dentures retain depends on how many implants you have.

Traditional dentures just sit on the top of the gums, and they can’t do anything to prevent bone loss which eventually leads to premature aging, facial sagging, and loss of function.

Secure Fit

Dental implants integrate with your natural bone, so they are very secure. Dental implants are essentially permanent attachments to your jawbone. Implant dentures attach securely to the dental implants.

An implant-supported denture won’t slip, slide, or fall off no matter how much you talk, laugh, or chew. This will give you more confidence to face other people. Most implant dentures are still removable. It’s relatively easy once you know how. However, some implant dentures can be securely attached to your implants so that only your dentist can remove them.

Excellent Restoration of Function

Because they’re more stable and secure than traditional dentures, implant-supported dentures can better restore function.

According to studies, implant-retained dentures restore as much as 95% of normal function (that is, the biting and chewing ability normally provided by natural teeth) versus the 25% of their traditional counterparts.

Improved Sense of Taste

Your sense of taste doesn’t just depend on your tongue. Your palate–the roof of your mouth–also plays an integral part in your sense of taste. Because implant-supported dentures cover less of your upper palate, you will have less interference with the taste of food. Plus, you can stop using denture adhesive, which interferes with your taste sense.

You can, therefore, enjoy a wider variety of food with implant dentures.

You can enjoy almost all the foods you used to eat when you had your natural teeth.

How Much Do Implant-Supported Dentures Cost?

It may be costlier to replace missing teeth with an implant-supported denture, but it pays off tremendously in the long run, given the benefits listed above.

There will be less need for relining, rebasing, or replacements with implant-supported dentures.

As long as you practice good oral hygiene and you visit your dentist regularly, your implant-supported denture can even last nearly a lifetime. Some implant-supported dentures show up to 80% survival after 30 years, and dental implants last 50 years or more.

Even with all the advantages of an implant-supported denture, some patients still feel that a traditional denture is more suitable for their case.

Ultimately, you should work with your denture dentist to determine which type of dentures is best for you.

Get Implant-Supported Dentures in San Diego

If you are unhappy with either the thought or reality of traditional dentures and want to learn about better options, make an appointment with an implant dentist at Irresistible Smiles in San Diego.

Please call (619) 656-6785 or email us with our online contact form to schedule an appointment at our office in San Diego.