Full Mouth Dental Implants Can Reach Places Partial and Single Implants Can’t Reach
Some people are in the unfortunate position of missing all their teeth on both the top and the bottom of their mouth, or they have failing teeth that are close to falling out. When both arches of teeth are absent or compromised, your smile can be recreated completely using full mouth implants placed by the expert oral surgeons and dentists at Philly Dentistry in Center City, Philadelphia.
The Full Mouth Dental Implant Procedure
Replacing an entire mouth of teeth is a big deal. This is the kind of work that requires patience, precision, and time, but the result is worth the effort and investment because it restores a complete smile in beauty, form, and function so it looks natural and feels comfortable.
Full mouth dental implants can refer to the teeth on the top or the bottom of the mouth, or it can refer to all the teeth in your mouth. Both procedures are full procedures.
Here is how full mouth implants typically work:
- Planning: This stage can take several weeks to complete, with the need for x-rays, CT scans, smile design, virtual planning, diagnostic mock-ups, and the treatment of any gum infections.
- Surgery: Once the day arrives to place the dental implants, several of them – usually four to eight – are surgically implanted in the upper jawbone. Four to six implants are placed in the lower jaw. Your dentist will determine before the procedure if it is better to conduct the upper and lower surgeries on the same day or split them up.
- Temporaries: Fixed temporary bridges are attached to the abutments, the small piece atop the implant that sticks out above the gumline, so that your smile is temporarily complete. These will stay in place while the implants heal and fuse with the jawbone, a step that can take several weeks to months.
- Finish: Durable, natural-looking partial dentures, bridges, and crowns – the combination will vary depending on the patient – are attached to the dental implants permanently for a complete, beautiful, strong, healthy smile.
Are You a Good Candidate for Full Mouth Implants?
If you are interested in full mouth implants, your dentist will thoroughly review your oral health and the condition of your teeth, gums, and bone density to determine if you are a good candidate for this procedure.
Here are some of the ideal patients:
- Denture-wearer: You currently have dentures but are tired of wearing them, struggle with adhesives and permanence, and are often embarrassed by poor-fitting dentures. You wish there were an upgrade.
- Missing teeth: You have been living with missing teeth and they impact your appearance, speech, and eating, affecting you both personally and professionally. You want to replace those teeth but there are so many that are missing and you want something other than dentures.
- Unstable teeth: You are missing teeth but have some remaining, though they are unstable in their own way because they’re loose, decayed, or shifting around. You want a smile that is secure and stable.
- Great oral health: If you’re missing teeth because of an accident, then you’re unlike many people with missing teeth who lost them because of gum disease or other infections. When your gums and mouth are healthy, you will be ready for the dental implant surgery faster than other candidates.
- Good bone density: The dental implants need somewhere to settle and if your jawbone is robust, strong, and healthy there will be no need for a bone graft, which is an extra step in the dental implant journey.
Get Full Mouth Dental Implants in Center City
Full mouth implants are permanent, secure, comfortable, and fully functional. No adhesives are necessary and they look and feel like natural teeth. Your smile will be complete and look better than it ever did with full teeth replacement from Philly Dentistry in Center City. Contact us to schedule a consultation and find out if you’re a good candidate for full mouth implants.
