Anchoring Dentures Improves Comfort

Friday, June 04, 2004

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Dentures aren't quite as good as the real thing. Many people who have dentures find it difficult to eat, laugh and converse normally.

The June issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter covers a way to make dentures function much like your originals. It's dental implants — metal posts that can be surgically placed in the jawbone to anchor a denture and prevent it from moving around.

The implants, typically made from titanium, work like roots for the replacement teeth. That means greater ease with talking and chewing and less discomfort.

The surgical procedure usually is performed in an outpatient setting under local anesthesia. The number of implants varies. As few as two implants in the lower jaw may retain a removable lower denture adequately. If you want teeth permanently fixed in place, you'll need more. For upper dentures, four to eight implants are typically used.

More implants generally mean greater comfort and stability, but at a higher expense — up to thousands of dollars for each implant.

Lisa Lucier — Mayo Clinic in Rochester
507-284-5005 (days)
507-284-2511(evenings)
email: newsbureau@mayo.edu

Erik Kaldor — Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville
904-953-2299

Anne Tewksbury — Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale
480-301-436

Mayo Clinic Health Letter is an eight-page monthly newsletter of reliable, accurate and practical information on today's health and medical news. To subscribe, please call toll free 800-333-9037, extension 9PR1.

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