What is an Attachment Denture?
The aesthetic and functional recovery through dentures is one of the biggest challenges in dentistry. Unlike treatments with fixed dental prostheses on natural teeth, such as bridges and crowns, the attachment denture depends on the health and quality of the gums. When they are flaccid, thickened by trauma, maladjusted, or have a loss of fibrousity due to ageing, pain and difficulty chewing can be constant problems.
The Attachment Denture treatment concept replaces your missing teeth with a full dental bridge supported by only four dental implants. This solution provides minimal invasiveness, less cost, fewer appointments, and can completely restore your ability to chew and speak; oftentimes being nearly indistinguishable from your natural teeth. Attachment dentures with inserts on dental implants is a technique to improve chewing and eliminate pain and sore gums. While for some this type of complete mobile denture is an alternative for more aesthetic and comfortable results, for others it is the only option to recover chewing ability – and self-esteem.
The attachment overdenture is considered the true denture fitted over dental implants. In this technique, a reduced number of dental implants serve as anchorage for the conventional complete denture. The contact of the denture base with the gums (mucosa) is similar to the conventional technique with complete dentures, but with the advantage of avoiding displacement of the same when speaking or chewing.
The dentures with fitting over a dental implant type overdenture are indicated for individuals with little bone available or sensitive to the price of treatment with fixed dental prostheses. Another advantage, always well remembered by the users of these devices, is the possibility of manual removal at any time – which facilitates daily oral hygiene.
The disadvantages of this technique are related to the lower effectiveness of the overdenture compared to fixed dentures and the aesthetic results similar to conventional techniques. In addition, masticatory discomfort – and even pain -, even if occasional, may be present in those with these devices with few fittings. Still, it is a treatment that eliminates or greatly alleviates the problems associated with dentures that hurt the gums and make chewing difficult.
Dental implants: how many of them are needed for this technique?
The number and location of dental implants installed in a dental arch imply the selection of the best type of dentures with fitting. A very common situation occurs in the lower arch without teeth, in which only two implant devices are installed in the region and can serve as support for the denture with fitting.
When dental implants are installed in a number equal to or greater than four, either in the upper or lower arches, techniques with fixed dentures in porcelain and zirconia or prosthetic protocol in acrylic can be used, improving aesthetic and masticatory results – in addition to the denture itself. with fitting.
Occasionally, bone grafts may be necessary to recover reabsorbed bone arches. Collected from the patient himself (for cases with severe losses) or artificially manufactured, these procedures make it possible to install dental implants by recovering lost bone height and thickness.