IMPLANT-RETAINED DENTURES

For a long time in Québec, people who lost their teeth were given removable dentures. Even today, many people are still using this old technology. An impractical solution, traditional dental prostheses have many disadvantages.

In 1998, when I became a health care professional, I found myself constantly thinking about a way to fully satisfy my patients. Then, a representative came to my clinic and introduced me to the benefits of implant-retained prostheses. Since then, there is not one patient who leaves my office without being informed about implants. Over the years, I have perfected my skills, refined my techniques and increased my knowledge on the subject.

Dental implants: the best solution

Thanks to dental implants, such phenomena are now history! Dental implants can restore the stability of natural teeth while maintaining bone volume. Forming a solid and durable support for dentures, they are placed once and for all; only the prostheses must be replaced periodically. The procedure takes less than an hour and is virtually painless. The day the implants are placed, patients leave with their old prostheses, which have been adapted with a temporary soft base to accommodate the new gum surface and implants. The patient never has to go without a dental prosthesis during the healing process.

Easy to maintain, dental implants really are the latest technology, allowing patients to enjoy a greatly improved quality of life because they are able to chew normally as if they still had their natural teeth.

Consequences of poor dentition

My approach is simple. Using a questionnaire, models and an examination of their gums, I make patients aware of the importance of adequate dentition for the proper functioning of their bodies. All edentulous people (those who have lost their natural teeth) will agree that the bone of their lower jaw is becoming thinner. This phenomenon is, unfortunately, continuous and inevitable. In fact, the jawbone resorbs at a rate of 0.5 to 1 mm annually. When bone resorption is advanced, prosthesis stability is reduced by up to 85%, since the loss of bone means the supporting surface (the gums) is no longer adequate. Thus, food is not sufficiently crushed when chewed and the rest of the digestive tract can be affected (stomach ulcers, constipation, bloating, irritable bowel, etc.). In addition, ill-fitting dentures can ruin the pleasure of eating well by leading to an inadequate consumption of fruit, vegetables, nuts and meats, which can impair the absorption of fiber, minerals, vitamins and proteins that are necessary for good health. Most dentures-wearers eat soft foods and have a nutritionally poor diet, which can lead to increased body fat and higher blood cholesterol levels, along with all the resulting health problems. Chronic nutritional deficiency in some of the "baby boomer" generation can even increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension and myocardial infarction, by up to 10%. Over time, dentures can also cause premature aging and a collapse of the bite, accentuated by the chin projecting upward toward the nose. This results in a harsh and unattractive appearance. In short, a Japanese study conducted in 2001 concluded that there is a deterioration of general health among denture wearers, with a decrease in life expectancy of up to six years.