Snap In Dentures the Complete Guide

When it comes to teeth, it is not always easy to look after them, sometimes you are more susceptible to decay, or it is out of your control if you lose them, it could be through a sporting injury or an accident. If you lose your teeth, there are a few options you can take, all of which have their upsides and downsides; you can get bridges that will replace one or two missing teeth, but what if you have lost a lot? Then your best option is a denture that can replace multiple lost teeth, including a whole mouth full. There are a few types of dentures you can get, but when it comes to dentures, snap-on dentures are a more durable and long-term replacement; if you are unsure whether snap-in dentures may be for you or what they are, then read on. Below will outline what snap-in dentures are, why they may be better than other options you have, and what it entails to get these dentures fitted. Hopefully, by the end of it, you will have an understanding of snap-in dentures and whether they are for you.

 

What are snap-in dentures?

Snap-in dentures are not like your normal denture; they are a more stable version. Instead of dentures being rested in the mouth or fixed in place with a substance, you have implants put directly into your jawbone to make a platform for the denture. Depending on your need, you can have the implants done top and bottom, but this is also depending on a budget as the price is more for a full mouth. There are two types of removable snap-in dentures, magnetic implants, and metal-plated implant. The implants put in the jaw will magnetic and connect to the denture via magnets, the plated one will be a metal plate attached to the implants over the gums, and the denture then attaches to this by snapping it in place. The plated snap-in can be more popular as it reduces friction on the gums allowing for a more comfortable experience.

 

Snap-in Pros and Cons

Like most things, there are several benefits and drawbacks with snap-in dentures; this is when compared alongside a standard denture. The benefits of snap-in dentures are they have a more stable platform than a normal denture, which you would remove daily; this means that you can eat harder and chewier foods and talk normally without the worry of them coming loose with a snap-in denture. Because a snap-in denture would be set on implants, this means they have a more comfortable fit than a standard denture; they also would rub less because of this on the gums as there is less friction between the snap-in and the gum; also, the snap-in denture is said to have a more natural look than that of the standard denture. Because of the implants being embedded in the jaw bone, this means that there is no further bone loss, and the jawbone is left preserved and intact, instead of what happens when you use a normal denture.

 

Alongside the benefits, there are a few downsides to the snap-in denture when compared to standard dentures. Snap-in dentures, unlike the standard denture, require surgery to be fitted; this can bring complications; although the rates for this are low, it is still surgery, and some people are not comfortable with that as it will require an anesthetic for the procedure to be carried out. As well as this, the snap-in is a lot more expensive when it comes to dentures; in some instances, this can be covered with your insurance should you have it but not always, so it is best to check before putting yourself up for the procedure. In some instances, when having the snap-in dentures done, you may need to have a bone graft put into your jawbone to create a support structure for the implants; this is usually needed should you have a high amount of decay to your teeth and gums.

 

Snap-in denture costs

Depending on where you go to have this done will decide the sort of cost you are looking at; also, whether you have half a mouth done or a full mouth will change the costing of the procedure. Some places do have more affordable options and offer installment plans to have these fitted; in some cases, it can even be covered by your insurance, but this is not always the case, so you may need to have some savings in place to have these done. The average amount spent on snap-in dentures is around $10000, and that is for implants and dentures; however, as said above, this can vary depending on the number of implants or whether it is top and bottom or just one. The price of the procedure can also change, depending on your circumstance. Should you be a worse case in terms of the jaw bone and you need the bone graft, then this will add on additional costs in some places.

 

Caring for the snap-in denture

No matter what denture you decide to use, you will need to make sure you keep it well maintained, whether it is a standard denture or snap-in. If you do not maintain your denture, then your investment in that procedure will be undone, and it will cost you more money, in the long run, to keep replacing it because you didn’t look after it. If rinsing your dentures does not remove the food, then you can use a soft-bristled brush to brush them gently and keep them clean. If you are not wearing your dentures at any time, then make sure they are kept in water and in a safe place until you are ready to wear them. This will keep them clean and keep them protected from wear and damage, make sure to keep the denture away from any abrasive cleaning materials, whitening kinds of toothpaste, and any bleach-based products; these will harm the dentures and reduce there lifespan.

 

Removable snap-in denture versus the fixed denture

Most snap-in dentures are removable, but there is an option to have the dentures put in and fixed in place so they can’t be removed. Depending on a few factors, one or the other may be best suited to you and your needs; here are a few differences between the two so you can understand what option is best for you. With removable dentures, they are designed to be taken out, most of the time nightly, so that you can clean them and maintain them slightly easier. The fixed denture, however, is put in place to be more permanent and therefore has a different way of being cleaned, and if they do need to be removed for any reason can only be done so by a dentist. On the other hand, though removable dentures can have the tendency to move out of place fixed denture is put in place to stop this happening. Like most things, the fixed fitting of the denture is a more costly procedure than get the removable snap-in denture; this is purely due to extra implants being needed, IV sedation, conversion of the denture and therefore more cost for the implants, also with the attachment bar being needed to fix the denture in place there is also an additional cost for this.

 

Procedure to fit the snap-in denture

Getting a snap-in denture is easy process. The procedure begins by putting implants into the jaw bone; recovery takes a couple of weeks and implant integration takes about 12 weeks to allow because the bone needs to grow and set around the implants to make them secure, they are the anchor point for the denture, so they need to be sturdy. Once the implants are set, they may need extensions to be added, so there is enough room to fit the denture. If the gum has overgrown the implant, then this will be removed, and extensions added. Now the implants are prepared, the connecting device will be applied to them so that the snap in nylon inserts can be applied to your denture. As touched on earlier, if your jawbone has been affected by decay and has receded or worn away, then you may need a bone graft to be applied to the jaw. For this, an incision is made in the gum where the bone graft is needed, and the bone graft substance will be applied where it is needed; after this, a membrane is put over it to hold it in place, and then the incision is stitched up. Time is then required for this to take to the jawbone before the implants can be fitted.

If you are looking for snap in dentures give your Dentist at Grand Parkway Smiles a call to see if this procedure is right for you.