Implant Supported vs. Traditional Dentures

Missing teeth in your smile not only affects your oral health, but your smile’s beauty and the confidence that image brings as well. However, if you are missing a whole arch of teeth, there are treatment options for you to choose from. Traditional full and partial dentures and implant supported full and partial dentures are two viable options that can effectively return the function and look of your smile.

Traditional Dentures

Dentures are removable prostheses that can replace a full arch (full dentures) or several missing teeth throughout an arch (partial dentures). These restorations can be made up of porcelain, but are usually made of acrylic resin for its durability and it secure binding to the denture base. Additionally, certain polymers can be used to create a flexible partial denture for patient comfort.

The dentist will make an impression of the patients gum to create a wax model to make sure it is suitable for the patient’s mouth.  However, diet and speech are affected with the use of dentures while the patient gets used to wearing them. Additionally, these prostheses may not fit as properly as you continue to wear them, due to jaw resorption; relining the dentures for a continuously effective fit is an element to the treatment.

Implant Supported Dentures

The main difference between dentures and implant supported dentures is the stability and comfort the implants provide, for these hold the dentures in place without laying against the palate. This means implant-supported full and partial dentures tend to be less obstructive within the mouth than their traditional counterparts.

Implant-supported dentures also prevent the decline of the jaw bone, as the dental implant posts give the bone something to support. With titanium implants integrated into the jaw bone, it’s just clicking dentures into place and your smile is renewed. Your diet doesn’t change, your speech is renewed, and the bone in your jaw is supported.  Implant supported dentures are convenient, reliable, and an effective way to restore your smile by stabilizing the prosthetic.

The only downside to implant-supported dentures is the initial cost; receiving traditional dentures is less expensive than receiving the implants to support dentures. However, when the constant relining that must be done for traditional dentures is considered, implant-supported dentures tend to be the less expensive solution for long-term budgets.

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Whether you choose traditional or implant-supported dentures, contact our St. Louis dental practice for either treatment. Carondelet Park Dental Care serves patients in St. Louis through restorative dentistry services, including dentures and dental implants.

Comparing Sleep Apnea Treatments

Obstructive sleep apnea interrupts an individual’s sleep by inhibiting a person’s ability to breathe properly. There are different methods that can treat your sleep apnea, and some may be better than others depending on your case. Serving St. Louis, Carondelet Park Dental Care can provide one of these treatments for you: sleep apnea appliances.

CPAP Machine Treatment

For mild to moderate cases of obstructive sleep apnea, oral appliances or the CPAP machine are often recommended. However, there are some major differences between the two treatment options that may affect the results of your treatment.

CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure, is a machine that delivers air pressure through a mask that you wear over your nose and mouth while you sleep. This pressure is greater than the air around you, and is able to keep your airway passages open, effectively preventing apnea and snoring. This is often considered the gold standard of treatment, and unlike oral appliances, can also a viable treatment for severe obstructive sleep apnea cases. However, many patients may find it too uncomfortable, if not claustrophobic, to wear the mask necessary for a CPAP treatment. CPAP machines are also inconvenient for travel, so patients living a mobile lifestyle might not get the benefits of their sleep apnea treatment regularly.

 

Oral Appliances

 

Oral appliances, such as the appliances used by our St. Louis dental practice, are able to treat mild and moderate sleep apnea cases for CPAP-intolerant patients. The mouth guard-like splint brings the lower jaw forward and inhibits the movement of the tongue. With this positioning, the muscles within the jaw are inhibited to contract, which would have caused snoring and apnea episodes. Oral appliances are travel friendly, easy to clean, and comfortable to wear at night. However, oral appliances are not usually able to effectively treat severe or extreme cases.

Surgical Treatment of Sleep Apnea

The most invasive and expensive treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, surgery is only recommended in extreme cases.

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPP) is a common surgery used to removed excess tissue to widen the air way. This will allow air flow to move freely, preventing obstructive sleep apnea altogether. Tissues that are removed through this surgery are the uvula, the soft palate, and the tonsils. There are other surgeries that target other excess tissue, but these are all extensive treatments with significant recovery times.

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The dentists at Carondelet Park Dental Care are here to answer any and all of your questions regarding oral appliance treatments for sleep apnea. Contact our St. Louis dental practice for a consultation regarding your treatments today!

Signs & Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

A good night’s rest is important to one’s overall health. However, how do you know if you’re really getting a good night’s rest? There are more than 200,000 cases of sleep apnea in the US per year, affecting all ages and genders. Carondelet Park Dental Care in St. Louis, MO is a comprehensive dental office that provides sleep apnea studies, which help you get the treatment you need.

Signs and Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which there are pauses in breath while you sleep. These instances can occur 30 or more times during your usual sleep schedule. These pauses are usually accompanied by a choking sound or snore.

Although it’s necessary for a sleep physician to diagnose sleep apnea, there are some symptoms that may tip you off to this condition. If you have a sleeping partner and they have expressed that you have been snoring loudly or have gasping sounds as you sleep, you may have sleep apnea. Some other symptoms and signs include:

-          Short awakenings that occur when there is a shortness of breath (which you may not always remember)

-          Dry mouth or sore throat

-          Insonmia

-          Daytime sleepiness

-          Irritability

-          Morning headaches

If you feel that you’ve always had loud snoring, or you notice that you have been continuously fatigued, irritable, or sleepy during the day, there is no trouble with speaking to your doctor about your sleeping patterns, especially if their accompanied with shortness of breath or silence.

Our Dentists and Sleep Apnea

Drs. Marc and Greg Boivin of Carondelet Park Dental Care can provide a take-home sleep study to help detect sleep apnea symptoms, such as snoring. After analyzing the results, our St. Louis dentists can refer you to a sleep physician for further diagnosis and treatment. As dentists who have experience with related problems such as teeth grinding or TMJ, Drs. Boivin and Boivin can help treat your sleep apnea condition with oral appliances.

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Do not take chances with snoring — if you suspect you have sleep apnea, it is imperative to seek diagnosis and treatment immediately. Not only can prompt treatment save your life, but it can also improve your sleep quality and overall health. Call Carondelet Park Dental Care today to schedule your sleep study appointment — Drs. Boivin and Boivin are here to serve your health needs!