SNU Entrance Station Dental Clinic: Minimum-Cost Full-Arch Implants for Edentulous Patients with No Teeth

Treatment period: 2024.02.27 ~ 2024.07.01

Hello,

This is Director Park Jeong-gi of the SNU Entrance Station Dental Clinic.

2024.02.27

Edentulism (a state in which there are no natural teeth at all)

has a serious impact on a patient’s daily life.

As a result, most patients

end up considering dentures and implants as solutions.

Since there are no teeth at all,

many patients choose dentures because they are worried about treatment costs,

but this has several limitations. It covers most of the palate, so it is difficult to properly taste food,

and speech can become unnatural.

In addition, over time,

they become unstable due to recession and deformation of the gums and jawbone,

and because they provide only about 30% of the chewing force

needed when eating, this leads patients to avoid hard foods

and creates restrictions on nutritional intake.

In addition, the inconvenience of using adhesive

to secure dentures, the need for regular adjustments,

and the social anxiety caused by unexpected

denture dislodgement are also major problems. Of course, any treatment has limitations.

So at the SNU Entrance Station Dental Clinic, before starting any treatment, we believe it is important for patients to be fully aware of the limitations described above. Today, for many people who are worried about these issues, we would like to share related medical information about how to switch from dentures to implants and how to minimize the financial burden.

2024.02.27

In this case, we performed treatment to restore the entire upper jaw, which had no teeth at all, with implants.

For treatment planning, we performed a detailed CT scan and an intraoral examination, and evaluated bone density and the amount of bone available.

2024.02.27

From the perspective of the SNU Entrance Station Dental Clinic, for this case,

we could choose a method that strategically places 7 fixtures while considering cost efficiency.

In general, 6 to 8 implants are recommended for full-arch placement,

but the upper jaw has lower bone density than the lower jaw and needs to distribute more pressure during chewing,

and this plan was made by considering areas among the remaining jawbone where strong initial stability could be obtained.

After surgery, following an osseointegration period of about 3 to 4 months,

once it was confirmed that the fixtures had firmly bonded with the jawbone, the prosthesis was placed.

2024.07.01

The prosthesis was designed in the form of a bridge, which is more cost-effective than individually placed single crowns while also providing high strength.

Artificial teeth (pontics) are placed in areas where no fixtures were inserted, so that they can function as tooth crowns.

2024.07.01

In addition, at the SNU Entrance Station Dental Clinic, for a full upper-jaw implant bridge, we place great importance on occlusal adjustment,

where occlusion refers to the way the upper and lower teeth fit together, and improper occlusion can cause many problems.

• Surgical failure due to excessive lateral force
• Fracture or detachment of the prosthesis
• Temporomandibular joint disorder
• Headaches and facial pain

2024.07.01

That is why, at the SNU Entrance Station Dental Clinic, we identify each patient’s unique oral condition

and carefully adjust the completed prosthesis, repeatedly checking to ensure that force is evenly distributed across all areas during chewing.

2024.02.27 ~ 2024.07.01

After all treatment was completed, we were able to restore chewing force that is almost similar to that of natural teeth, and speech and esthetics improved significantly.

Above all, the biggest change was likely the fact that the instability of dentures was resolved. For edentulous patients, implants can help restore confidence, bring back the joy of eating, and give freedom in social activities.

Although the initial cost may be somewhat high, from a long-term perspective, there are many advantages, such as improved quality of life and prevention of alveolar bone resorption. So, please choose a treatment that suits you well, considering time, cost, and efficiency, and maintain a healthy mouth for a long time.

Thank you for reading.

This has been Director Park Jeong-gi of SNU Entrance Station Dental Clinic Remember. ​