APPOINTMENTS & EMERGENCIES 847 827 6290
If you are considering your options for implant dentures, it’s important to understand that there are actually many types of implant dentures that you can choose from. Among them is the hybrid denture, which combines the benefits of implant-supported dentures and removable dentures.
Denture Fountain of Youth® dentists can create FOY® Dentures that function as hybrid dentures.
Hybrid dentures are screw-retained dentures. Your dental implants are placed in your jawbone and are allowed to heal. Dr. Meyer will talk to you about your goals for your new denture, then recommend the right number of implants to achieve your goals. Typically, this is 4-6 dental implants at the top and a similar number at the bottom.
The gums heal up and around your dental implants. Sometimes your denture dentist will add a structural bar to improve support. Then Dr. Meyer will send impressions to the dental lab. You will get a try-in denture to make sure the fit is perfect. Once the fit is perfect, Dr. Meyer will order the final denture.
Dr. Meyer will then attach the final denture to your dental implants using screws through the denture. Caps that look like natural teeth fit into the screw holes so your hybrid denture looks just like natural teeth.
Hybrid dentures are implant-supported dentures. They direct most of the bite force into dental implants–not onto your gums.
Most implant-retained dentures and some implant-supported dentures are removable. They don’t fit as snugly to your gums and have some give and movement related to the clasps that make them removable.
With hybrid dentures, you’ll enjoy the following:
The primary benefit of hybrid dentures is that they give you the most secure dentures. These dentures won’t slip out or dislodge, even under significant chewing forces. Hybrid dentures can restore up to 97% of your chewing function compared to natural teeth.
Some “snap-in” dentures will be secure for speaking but can snap out when you’re chewing. This reduces their chewing effectiveness.
In addition, hybrid dentures will cause less gum irritation. Because the hybrid denture attaches close to your gums, there is less risk of getting food particles trapped between your dentures and gums. Even if you do get food under your dentures, the denture transmits most of the biting force to the dental implants, so there’s less irritation. Then you can remove the food under your denture during regular cleaning.
You don’t have to remove hybrid dentures for cleaning. Brush them, floss under the denture, especially around the implants, and you’re done. It’s no harder than caring for your natural teeth.
Because they’re more secure on the implants, hybrid dentures can be less bulky, essentially no bulkier than your natural teeth. This can make them feel more natural. You’ll have less foreign-body sensation in your mouth compared to traditional dentures and even snap-in implant dentures.
Because hybrid dentures use fewer implants than full implant tooth replacements, they can be less expensive. The cost of hybrid dentures may be a fraction of the cost of full implant tooth replacement.
However, there are some drawbacks to hybrid dentures:
Because these dentures still sit on your gums, they can get food and bacteria trapped between the denture and your gums. As we’ve noted, this is relatively rare and not as much of a problem as for implant-retained dentures. However, in some cases, it can lead to an irritant that you can’t remove, so you will have to see your dentist for help.
With hybrid dentures, it’s vital that you get them properly fitted. The same forces that can rock and snap out your “snap-in” dentures are still being applied to your dentures. This can cause damage to the dentures or cause bone loss around the implants. We recommend a neuromuscular fitting process as we use for the Denture Fountain of Youth® to ensure you’re getting a balanced bite.
Screw-retained implant denture cost can be a barrier for some people. Although they cost less than a full implant replacement, they are still more expensive than traditional dentures or simple implant-retained dentures.
Hybrid dentures offer great benefits for most people. This approach lets you maximize the benefits of the Denture Fountain of Youth ®.
Combining these two approaches will give you the following:
This makes hybrid screw-retained FOY® Dentures a great choice for a beautiful and functional denture solution.
Want to learn more about the benefits of hybrid dentures in Mount Prospect? Please contact Dr. Tom Meyer at Meyer Dental Group today.
