How Full-Arch Implants Differ from Dentures

Lee Jang-wook, Chief Director

Hello.

Etoile de Seoul Dental Clinic is a place that does its utmost

for a healthy smile.

The Weight of Two Decades with Dentures Today, I’m Lee Jang-wook, once again drawing your healthy smiles. Let’s keep going! Today, I have a story I especially want to share with you. I’d like to talk about the change I witnessed in one patient in my clinic and the moving moments that came with it. I hope this story can offer a little hope to those of you who are 고민하고 계신 now.

Last fall, a man in his mid-70s came to see me holding his daughter’s hand. I still remember clearly how carefully he spoke in a low voice. “Doctor, I’m so afraid of meeting people now. Every time I eat, my denture moves, and every time I speak, I end up covering my mouth with my hand in case it falls out. Even when my grandchildren ask to see Grandpa’s face, I can’t bring myself to smile.”

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The Moment He Met Hope

He had used dentures for more than 20 years. At first, they were fine, but as time passed, the jawbone kept shrinking and the dentures gradually became loose. Putting the dentures in each morning was the start of the day, and meals were always cautious affairs. He had long since given up hard foods, and even soft foods were so difficult to chew that he said he ate almost by swallowing them whole.

“Lately, eating has become a task. I’ve even become afraid of going out to eat with my family. A few days ago, I was chewing meat at a restaurant and my denture fell out... Since that day, I haven’t wanted to go outside.” His daughter quietly wiped away tears beside him as she spoke. “My father has been speaking less and less, and he tries to stay home all the time, so the whole family has been worried. I can’t even remember the last time I saw him smile.”

I recommended full-arch implant treatment to him. At first, he had many concerns. “I’m already old—will a major surgery really be okay? I feel like recovery would take a long time...” But I explained, step by step, how it differs from dentures. Dentures are placed on top of the gums, so their chewing force is only about 60 to 80 percent of natural teeth, and they become loose over time. Full-arch, on the other hand, involves firmly fixing four to six implants into the jawbone and connecting a prosthesis to them. It does not move at all in the mouth, and chewing force reaches about 90 percent of natural teeth.

“The surgery takes only about two to three hours, and you can receive a temporary prosthesis the same day. So you won’t have to go without teeth.” As he listened to my explanation, I could see his expression slowly changing. “Really... you mean I can get teeth on the same day?” “Yes, so you can return to daily life right away.”

A Miraculous Change on the Day of Surgery

On the day of surgery, the whole family came together. His son, daughter, grandchildren—everyone was there. I can never forget the look on his face when we finished the procedure and fitted the temporary prosthesis, and he looked into the mirror. “Is... this really my face?” He carefully opened and closed his mouth, ran his tongue over his teeth, and then suddenly burst into tears. “It feels like I have teeth again after so long. It’s really been such a long time.”

That evening, his daughter called me. “Doctor, as soon as my father got home, he stood in front of the mirror for a long time. And at dinner, for the first time, he ate the same side dishes as the rest of the family. Seeing him smile made me tear up without even realizing it.”

Happiness Returning to Daily Life

When he came back a week later for a follow-up check, he seemed like a completely different person. “Doctor, yesterday my grandson won an award at school, so the whole family went to a grilled meat restaurant. I chewed and ate meat! For the first time in 20 years. My grandson asked, ‘Grandpa, why are you smiling so much today?’ That made me cry again.” His daughter, sitting beside him, was smiling brightly as she added, “These days, my father goes out for walks every day, meets his friends, and has completely changed. He’s brighter now, and the whole family is happy.”

One month later, we fitted the final prosthesis, which naturally recreated even the gums with pink porcelain. The teeth made with zirconia looked as natural as real teeth. “Is this really my gum? It looks just like my own teeth.” He kept looking in the mirror and couldn’t stop smiling.

Now, three months later, he shares a new story at every regular checkup. “Last week I went to a class reunion, and my friends said I looked younger. So I told them honestly. They all asked where I had it done.” The confidence in his smiling face was overflowing. “Now I can laugh freely when I’m playing with my grandchildren. Everything tastes good, talking is comfortable, and I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve felt this happy.”

Another Story of Recovery

Another patient comes to mind as well. She was a woman in her late 50s who came in saying that while using dentures, it felt like her mouth was gradually sinking inward. “Every time I look in the mirror, I wonder if I’ve gotten this old. I still work, but I can’t help being self-conscious whenever I meet people...” About a month after full-arch implant treatment, she returned wearing makeup and bright clothing. “Doctor, yesterday I confessed it to my coworkers. They all said I looked brighter and that my smile was beautiful. Now I can smile with confidence.”

Every time I see moments like these, my heart swells. It’s because this goes beyond simply restoring teeth—it’s about helping people regain the joy of everyday life and the confidence they had lost.

A Message of Hope for You

Many people ask these questions before getting full-arch implants: “Is it okay even if I’m older?” “Will recovery take a long time?” “Will it be difficult to care for?” My answer is always the same. In fact, it is often more suitable for those who are older or have difficulty coming to the clinic multiple times. A temporary prosthesis is placed on the day of surgery, and the final prosthesis is completed within 30 days. Care is also like natural teeth—just regular brushing is enough.

Even patients with diabetes or high blood pressure can usually receive treatment if their condition is well controlled. And for those with insufficient jawbone, there are many cases in which treatment can proceed without bone grafting thanks to 3D navigation technology.

To everyone reading this, I want to say this especially: don’t give up just because dentures are uncomfortable, because you’re older, or because the cost feels burdensome. Like the man in his 70s I met, like the woman in her 50s, you too can smile with confidence again. The day will surely come when you can enjoy delicious meals with your family, talk freely with friends, and smile naturally in front of the mirror.

The Courage to Smile Again

I hope you won’t miss precious moments in life because of discomfort. At your grandson’s graduation, your child’s wedding, or a trip with friends, you deserve to laugh freely and be happy. I want to help create those happy moments with you.

Everyone who has received full-arch implant treatment says the same thing: “I should have done it sooner.” But deciding even now is still a courageous choice. I support your bright smile.

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