tips for adjusting to dentures

If you're a young adult who suffers from significant jawbone loss and one or more missing teeth, you may wonder if there's anything a dentist can do to improve your situation. A dental provider can offer you mini dental implants to help you eat and look better. Mini implants are ideal for anyone who doesn't have enough bone tissue in their jaws to support traditional dental implants or dentures. Here's your guide to mini dental implants and why they may be good options for you.

What Are Mini Dental Implants?

Mini dental implants are smaller versions of traditional dental implants. Both types of implants are made with titanium, which is a strong metal that bonds well with the natural tissues of your body. But unlike traditional dental implants, mini implants come with small, narrow posts that work well for people who have poor bone structure, width and height in their jaws. The long posts of traditional dental implants can't sit inside the empty tooth sockets of weakened jawbones properly without tipping over or failing.

Mini implants may improve the health of your weakened jawbones over time. The metallic posts stimulate the bone tissue and cells inside your tooth sockets to grow thicker and higher. Jawbones lose their ability to regenerate new bone cells when they no longer have teeth roots to support. The bone you have left inside the empty tooth sockets gradually absorbs back into the jawbones.

You can experience pain when you bite down on food and gum disease if bacteria penetrate the gums surrounding the empty tooth sockets. You may even develop sores on your gums if sharp pieces of food break open the tissues. Some people develop inflammations around the joints of their lower jawbone. The joints move out of place because they don't have enough teeth to stabilize them.

Your face may show signs of premature aging, such as wrinkling around the eyes and mouth. The skin on your face needs sufficient bone tissue to stay supple, full and firm. When your skin doesn't have enough bone beneath it, the skin droops and loses its elasticity. Replacing your missing teeth now may stop or slow down the problems mentioned above.

Can You Get Mini Dental Implants With Dentures or Single Mini Dental Implants?

Depending on how many teeth you have missing, a dentist can offer you single mini dental implants or implant-supported denture system. A single mini implant comes with a permanent crown made of ceramic or porcelain that covers its abutment, which is the top portion of the implant. Because the artificial crown looks and acts exactly like a natural tooth crown, it's important that you avoid foods and liquids with dark dyes that stain it, such as coffee and black tea.

A implant-supported denture system features a removable prosthesis, such as upper or lower denture, and multiple dental implants. The prosthesis attaches to the implants with devices called O-rings. The rings snap the prosthesis in place until you remove them. You usually soak the prosthesis in a cleaning solution made for dentures, or you can brush and floss the prosthesis to remove food and bacteria. Dental implants can fail if bacteria and plaque travel inside your gums. 

If you don't like the idea of removing your dentures, you can ask a dentist about a fixed mini implant-supported denture system if you want a more permanent smile. A dentist can examine your mouth to see if you benefit most from a removable or fixed implant-supported system.  

Although dental implants are often associated with older adults who suffer from tooth loss, young adults can benefit from them as well. For more details about mini dental implants and how they work, contact a dentist from a clinic like Silverado Family Dental today.