Traditional & Implant-Retained Dentures

If you have partial or complete tooth loss, it can make daily life challenging. You may feel embarrassed when smiling or laughing with your friends, colleagues, and family. It may prevent you from seeking advancement at work or setting achievable career goals. Missing teeth can also influence your dietary choices and lead to oral health conditions like bone loss in the jaw, tooth shifting, misalignment, and future cavities or fractures.

Fortunately, your dentist in Humble, TX, Dr. Robert Appel, offers tooth replacement options, including dentures, partials, and implant-supported dentures to restore your smile. He wants his patients to enjoy healthy smiles that are both beautiful and functional.

If you would like to learn more about our tooth replacement options, including implant-retained dentures near Atascocita, TX, contact a member of our helpful dental staff today to arrange your initial consultation with Dr. Appel. We can’t wait to help you restore your smile and your oral health!

Also, we recommend reading through the questions below to learn more about our denture options, or you can give us a call if you have further questions.   

Are dentures a good choice for my tooth loss?

couple smiling outsideBefore we perform any tooth replacement or cosmetic dentistry treatment—including dentures—your dentist near Kingwood, TX makes sure that dentures are a safe and viable option for you. This means we provide a consultation, x-rays if no recent films are on file, and talk to you about your tooth replacement goals.

If this consultation suggests that dentures are right for you, we take impressions of your teeth and gums, and we use the results to craft a custom, quality denture, partial, or implant denture that fits the contours of your jaw.

If dentures are not a good option for you, your dentist will talk to you about alternative tooth-replacement choices.

What types of dentures do you offer?

Partial Dentures

A partial denture is a prosthetic with artificial teeth custom attached to stand in for partial tooth loss. This prosthetic relies on healthy teeth for anchoring and special clips. In some cases, your dentist may recommend extractions, especially if your remaining teeth are not healthy or stable enough to support a partial denture. In this instance, we usually suggest a complete prosthetic or an implant-supported denture.

Complete Dentures

A complete denture is a prosthetic that holds an entire arch of replacement teeth. The complete denture depends on suction, gravity, and the bony ridges of your jaw for stabilization.

Implant-Retained Dentures

For patients looking for more than typical dentures in Humble, TX, we also offer implant-supported dentures. This means your dentist surgically implants four to six replacement roots in your jaw. Over the months, these posts bond with your jawbone and create a stable base for your replacement denture. These roots—also called dental implants—are strong enough to support a low-profile denture or other prosthetic. This option means the denture is fixed and can only be removed by a dental professional.

Is a partial denture similar to a dental bridge?

A partial denture and a dental bridge are similar because they both stand in for partial tooth loss. However, a partial denture is removable, and a dental bridge is a fixed restoration that relies on dental crowns—capping teeth on either side of your smile gap—for permanent anchoring. Only your dentist can remove your dental bridge. 

Additionally, a partial denture relies on denture pastes and soaking for cleaning. A dental bridge needs a small cleaning brush and a floss threader for optimal care.

graphic of implant retained denturesWhat are the benefits of an implant-retained denture in Humble, TX?

Dental implants are made from strong titanium, which means they can support replacement teeth or even a full denture. A denture fixed with implants is a more permanent solution compared with traditional dentures because we anchor the prosthetic to your jaw.

The benefits of implant-retained dentures include:

  • No slippage when eating or speaking, which can be embarrassing.
  • Root replacement to stimulate your jawbone and help prevent bone loss, which can lead to a sunken or aged facial appearance. 
  • No “migrating teeth,” which means teeth slipping toward smile gaps, misaligning your bite, and causing undue wear and deterioration.

With an implant-supported denture, you can smile with confidence and enjoy your meals without worry. And our implant-retained dentures near Kingwood, TX look natural—no one will guess it’s a denture!

Are implant-supported dentures right for me?

Your dentist near Atascocita, TX checks the integrity of your jawbone and the position of your sinus to determine whether dental implants are a viable option for you. In some situations, your dentist may recommend pretreatments, such as a sinus lift or bone grafting to make you a better candidate for dental implants. However, most adults with reasonably healthy smiles are good candidates for dental implants or implant-retained dentures.

Following your initial consultation, your dentist will share all findings with you and talk to you in detail about implant-retained dentures and all your tooth replacement options.

At Humble Dentistry, it is our goal to restore your smile and your confidence.

Is dental implant placement painful?

Our dentist always uses a gentle hand, and he numbs the treatment area before starting work. But we do understand if you need a little extra help to relax. For this reason, we offer nitrous oxide and sedation dentistry—sometimes together—for patients who have anxiety or are feeling uneasy about implant placement.

Nitrous oxide, sometimes called laughing gas, is safe for patients of all ages. We deliver it through a small nasal mask, and it produces feelings of ease and comfort. This gas does not leave lingering effects. When we remove the mask, you can drive yourself home.

Our sedation dentistry means you are minimally conscious but are unlikely to recall your implant placement. This method requires transportation because you should not drive—or make any life-altering decisions on the day of treatment.

Most patients compared dental implant placement to less invasive treatments like dental fillings, and they are often surprised by the straightforward nature of implant placement.

However, we understand when patients request nitrous oxide or sedation dentistry, and we never want fear to stand in the way of your dental treatment.

How do I take care of my dentures?

woman with glasses smilingYour dentist recommends never using toothpaste to clean your denture or partial. Instead, use a denture cleaning paste to keep the prosthetic clean. You should also soak your denture or partial overnight in a denture bath with or without cleaning tablets. We recommend room temperature water. We also suggest keeping your denture moist at all times—either by soaking them in your denture bath or wearing them.

Even if you have dentures, it is still important to visit the dentist regularly for dental exams and teeth cleanings. This preventive measure protects your gums from infections, gingivitis, and periodontal disease. Periodontal disease can threaten the integrity of your implant-supported denture or your partial, especially. And untreated gum disease can also cause systemic health problems.

Your dentist will provide more specific maintenance instructions based on your case.

For Dentures and Implant-Retained Dentures Near Atascocita, TX, Contact Us

Some patients are looking for a practical and time-tested solution to tooth loss, and our dentures meet that criteria. Dr. Appel relies on quality materials and can even secure your dentures with dental implants.

Your dentist in 77338 restores smiles for patients in all locations, including Humble, Kingwood, Atascocita, Spring, Porter, and Huffman.