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How Long Do Implant-Supported Dentures Last?

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Graphic image of an upper implant-supported denture

Implant-supported denture

Implant-supported dentures are an entire arch of fixed, non-removable replacement teeth with a base that screws onto six or more dental implants. Implant-supported dentures are more expensive than dentures that snap or clip onto dental implants. How long can you expect your implant-supported denture to last?

How Long Do Implant-Supported Dentures Last?

Implant-supported dentures last at least ten years, but that refers to denture teeth, which require replacement as they wear over time. The dental implants that support the denture can last 20 years, even a lifetime.

How to Help Your Implant-Support Denture Last

You can help your implant-supported with these steps:

Following post-surgical instructions

Your implant specialist will explain how to practice good oral hygiene and support healing at home. Promote your recovery with these steps:

  • Maintain a soft foods diet throughout the healing period, which lasts three to five months.
  • Avoid vigorous work or strenuous exercise until your implant specialist approves it.
  • Keep your follow-up visits for your dentist to examine the surgical sites and your implants.

Maintain routine dental exams and cleaning.

Implant-supported dentures require routine professional dental care. Your hygienist and dentist will inspect your gums for any signs of disease and ensure your implants are free of plaque buildup that can breed bacteria. Your dentist will periodically take a CT scan to ensure your bone is healthy.

Daily cleaning

Follow this daily routine to clean your implant-supported denture:

  • Brush your denture teeth with a soft toothbrush.
  • Use nonabrasive paste.
  • Remove debris beneath the denture and around the implants with a water flosser.

An article on long-term success and survival in the Swedish Dental Journal remarks that patients with low oral hygiene standards who neglect regular dental visits have a higher risk of peri-implantitis. Peri-implantitis is inflammation of the soft tissue around dental implants that can lead to bone deterioration.

Avoiding tobacco use

Even after your jawbone and implants fuse, tobacco use restricts blood flow to your gums and can lead to disease. Unhealthy gums cannot support dental implants and can cause them to loosen and fail.

Protecting your overall health

Daily exercise and healthy food choices help you maintain your overall health. If you have a chronic illness, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, keep it well-controlled to avoid damaging your oral health and the success of your dental implants.

If you are interested in implant-supported dentures, schedule a consultation with an experienced periodontist (implant specialist) to discuss your options.

Atlanta periodontist Dr. David Pumphrey sponsors this post.

How Do You Clean All-on-4 Dental Implants?

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all-on-four dental implants

All-on-4 Dental Implants

All-on-4 dental implants are fixed (non-removable) implant-supported dentures. The four implants are artificial tooth roots made of titanium. A periodontist places four to six implants to support an arch of replacement teeth. If you are considering getting All-on-4 implants, you may wonder how keeping them clean differs from cleaning a removable denture. We will explain how to care for All-on-4 implants after surgery, during recovery, and after your implants and jawbone fuse.

How Can You Clean All-on-4 Implants After Surgery?

After surgery, your periodontist or oral surgeon will ask you to pause your usual oral hygiene habits to allow blood clots to form at the implant sites. You can promote healing by doing the following:

  • Avoid brushing and flossing your teeth.
  • Avoid rinsing your mouth, spitting, or sucking through a straw for 48 hours.
  • Use antibacterial gauze pads over the surgical sites as directed.

Cleaning All-on-4 Dental Implants During Recovery

While recovering at home, follow your periodontist’s guidelines for maintaining good oral hygiene after surgery. You can begin the following routine on the third day to keep your All-on-4 implants healthy:

  • Continue to use the antibacterial rinse for seven to ten days, or as your doctor prescribes.
  • Use warm salt water rinses four to five times daily and always after meals.
  • Gently brush your teeth and floss between them.
  • Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to gently clean implant healing abutments (connectors).
  • Be careful not to disturb any sutures.

Keeping Your Implants Clean After Your Doctor Removes Sutures

After your doctor removes any sutures, you may use a water flosser at a low setting around your natural and new teeth while avoiding the surgical sites. The flosser will flush out food debris.

Cleaning All-on-4 Implants After They Heal

After the healing period, you can keep your All-on-4 implants clean with these steps:

  • Brush and floss All-on-4 implants as you would your natural teeth.
  • Use interdental brushes and a water flosser to keep the area around the implants free of food particles that promote bacteria and cause infection.
  • See your dentist for routine exams and cleanings.

The American Association of Implant Dentistry confirms that bacteria can accumulate around artificial tooth roots and cause bone loss around implants. Untreated bone loss will result in dental implant failure, so regular at-home and professional maintenance are essential.

Dr. David Pumphrey, an Atlanta periodontist, sponsors this post.

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