Upper Jaw Full-Arch Implants vs Partial Dentures: Finding the Treatment You Really Need

Hello.

I am the director of Seoul Bardi Dental Clinic.

My denture keeps moving around in my mouth.

I want to stop wearing it now.

No matter how many times I get a new denture made, why does it keep hurting and wobbling?

The reason is that there is not enough "tooth support" to hold the denture firmly in place.

Today’s patient had been wearing a partial denture for a long time.

Because there were only a few remaining teeth, the denture kept shifting,

so they had a really hard time at every meal.

Since there wasn’t enough force to support the denture, the gums were constantly sore,

and because of the wobbling discomfort, it was difficult to eat with ease.

How can we replace an uncomfortable denture with something that feels as comfortable as natural teeth?

I’ll walk you through this case’s treatment process step by step.

Why dentures can feel uncomfortable Upper Jaw Full-Arch Implants vs Partial Dentures: Finding the Treatment You Really Need

Here is a panoramic image showing the patient’s oral condition.

At a glance, you can immediately see that only a few teeth remain.

Many teeth were missing in both the upper and lower jaws, and the remaining teeth were not in good condition either.

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The alveolar bone that supports the teeth had also significantly resorbed.

In particular, too much force was concentrated on the teeth where the denture clasps were hooked,

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so the root areas were severely worn down and became very weak.

When this happens, even if the denture is remade, it only hurts the gums and makes chewing very difficult.

So, we decided to extract the teeth that could no longer function properly and established a comprehensive surgical plan so the patient could eat comfortably again.

An efficient implant surgery plan Upper Jaw Full-Arch Implants vs Partial Dentures: Finding the Treatment You Really Need

If you look at the far right side of the image, you can see an impacted #18 wisdom tooth.

This wisdom tooth was already deeply embedded inside the bone,

so we decided to leave it impacted in the direction that would place the least burden on the patient.

For this case, we planned to extract all teeth except the wisdom tooth and place a total of 7 implants.

Usually, implants are placed according to the number of missing teeth,

but depending on the patient’s condition, the number of implants can be adjusted by using a bridge prosthesis.

Bone grafting? We only do what is absolutely necessary. Upper Jaw Full-Arch Implants vs Partial Dentures: Finding the Treatment You Really Need

The most important thing when placing implants is how strong the jawbone is.

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The bone in the front was thick and long enough for immediate placement,

but the molar area was the problem.

The jawbone in areas without teeth gradually resorbs over time and becomes thinner.

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So, in the molar area where the bone height was insufficient, we performed bone grafting through sinus lift surgery to build a solid foundation.

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▽For information about sinus lift surgery, please refer to a previous post.

Why you need to wait for the bone and implants to fuse Upper Jaw Full-Arch Implants vs Partial Dentures: Finding the Treatment You Really Need

The surgery went very well, but the prosthetic crowns are not placed on the same day.

There is a very important reason for this.

The implant needs to become completely "one body" with our bone,

and the bone cells need time to firmly adhere to the implant surface.

So, in the case of the upper jaw, especially because sinus lift surgery was also performed, we wait about 5 months for the bone and implant to fully integrate.

During that time, we made a temporary denture so the patient could still eat.

Five months later, after confirming that the implants had firmly fused with the bone, we prepared to take impressions.

Our clinic has an oral scanner, so we scan the inside of the mouth with precision using a computer.

Because there is no need to bite down on sticky rubber material for five minutes like before,

it is a process that patients find very comfortable. ^^

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The day the finished prosthesis was finally placed!

After removing the wobbling denture,

they could now eat comfortably as if they were their own teeth,

and seeing the patient like that made me feel very rewarded as well.

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In fact, for a patient who wants to escape from the discomfort of dentures as soon as possible,

waiting five months is certainly not a short time.

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But unlike dentures that rest on the gums,

allowing the bone and implant to become firmly united

is a necessary process in order to gain strength like a "real natural tooth."

Even if it seems a little slow, following this principle

is the surest and safest shortcut to never going back to a wobbling denture again.

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Are you also forcing yourself to keep eating while enduring an uncomfortable denture?

Rather than worrying about it alone, I hope you’ll visit a dental clinic and get your current condition checked accurately.

We will think together from the patient’s perspective about how to make things more comfortable than they are now.

If you have any more questions, please feel free to contact us anytime.

Thank you. ^^

▼Check the clinic location▼

Upper Jaw Full-Arch Implants vs Partial Dentures: Finding the Treatment You Really Need

Go to make a reservation by phone
02-481-4278

| This post was written directly by Seoul Bardi Dental Clinic for the purpose of providing medical information in compliance with Article 56, Paragraph 1 of the Medical Advertising Act. The provided information is for reference only, and we recommend visiting a medical institution to receive guidance from a healthcare professional regarding symptom assessment and accurate management methods. All procedures/surgeries performed at the dental clinic may involve risks depending on the individual (infection, bleeding, swelling, etc.). Please make decisions after sufficient consultation with medical staff in advance. The treatment cases in this post were photographed with the consent of patients who completed treatment at our clinic, and the before-and-after photos were taken under the same conditions. |