Posted: January 25, 2018
Dentures have been around since 700 BC in some form and were made of human or animal teeth then. A famous US President, George Washington had dentures that were made with the best material available in the 1700s. Fast forward hundreds of years, dentures are used as an interim treatment option for many people.
Dentures can be a transitional prosthesis if a patient plans to later have an appliance that does not have to be removed. People who have lost all of their teeth completely (edentulous) have another option known as a fixed hybrid denture. It is fixed in place. A fixed hybrid denture is made for the whole upper or lower arch of the mouth. And is screwed in securely to the dental implants in the arch.
The recent advances in dentistry, including implant technology has made a full mouth of teeth possible after tooth loss. A patient would have to go through a thorough treatment planning visit to check for adequate bone and supporting tissue. As well as an evaluation for facial profile and lip form. The space available for a set of teeth would be analyzed. And dental images are taken with impressions to properly plan dental implant placement.
A surgical guide that is custom made for the patient’s arch is used to strategically place about 6 dental implants as decided based on the treatment plan for the patient. After the implants are placed and go through a healing stage, further impressions are taken of the implants to fabricate a fixed denture. The fixed denture will be screwed in to the implants and the screws are covered with dental composite.
The fixed hybrid denture will be evaluated every 6 months and the dentist may remove the fixed hybrid to clean underneath or check the screws. Patients do not have to remove their fixed denture at home and would not have the ability to remove the denture at home. This makes a fixed denture hybrid more convenient for many people.
A fixed hybrid dentures requires multiple appointments to verify fit. And requires time from the dentist and the patient alike. It is also important to keep up with recall visits to ensure the stability of the implants and dentures once treatment is complete.
If you are interested in replacing multiple missing teeth, consider dental implants as an option. Contact us at 817 870 5099 to schedule a consultation. We are conveniently located within a few minutes of downtown Fort Worth and serve patients from Arlington, Keller, and Fort Worth Areas.
