Dentures which are stabilised with dental implants have always been a very popular dental procedure in Hungary because dreams can often become a reality when it is more affordable.
People who have dentures often do not get on with them as they can be uncomfortable, embarrassing and prevent them from eating their favourite foods like steaks or Apples.
Often called implant retained dentures, denture stabilisation is a procedure whereby the upper or lower (or both) jawbone has a specially made denture which is held in place by dental implants.
Upper Jawbone
Dental patients who have no teeth often enquire about denture stabilisation in Hungary because of the massive price difference between UK and Ireland compared to Hungary.
Some patients will have four dental implants placed which will hold the denture in place whilst other patients need six dental implants to hold the denture in place. It is down to the opinion of the dentist and how stable the denture will be when increased biting forces are applied.
For a six implant solution expect UK prices to be around £14,000 to £16,000 whilst in Hungary the cost will be around £5,500 to £6,000 on a true like for like basis.
For a four implant solution expect UK prices to be around the £10,000 to £12,000 mark whilst in Hungary expect prices to be less than £5,000.
Lower Jawbone
The lower jawbone is very much different to the upper jawbone in terms of bone quality. For this reason expect the dentist to advise four dental implants to support the new denture.
It has become popular for patients to seek dental implant options involving just two dental implants. It is possible and the restoration will last around 4 to 6 years before serious maintenance is required but the advice is to do it properly in the first place and have the correct amount of implants to support the denture which will have increased biting forces applied to it.
For a four implant solution expect UK prices to be around the £10,000 to £12,000 mark whilst in Hungary expect prices to be less than £5,000.
The procedure
The dentist will obviously assess you and advise whether this is the right treatment for you. The dentist will normally want to carry out a full panoramic x-ray so that bone quality can be assessed. The dentist will also feel the jawbone and measure the ridge to determine how appropriate and successful the treatment will be.
Due to the nature of this treatment many patients have had missing teeth for decades and jawbone resorption will have taken place. Surprisingly many patients out rule themselves as candidates because they have had missing teeth for a long time. Let the dentist decide and you may be surprised to find out that you are a good candidate.
Once suitability has been determined the dentist will plan and then place the dental implants. Once the dental implants have been placed the dentist may require a healing period lasting 3 to 6 months depending on patient circumstances. Sometimes the dentist will decide to load the new implants with the special dentures immediately.
Loading
Once the dentist is satisfied that the new implants will take the load from the new dentures the dentist will first join the dentures together with a bar system. This bar system links all of the dental implants together and stops them moving in different directions.
Once the bar system is installed, special abutments are screwed into the dental implants. It is these abutments which will attach to the special denture via a ball and socket arrangement.
After this procedure the dentist will take precise impressions and then your new dentures will be made by a highly skilled dental technician.
The denture
The denture is very different to the one you are familiar with. Firstly the denture will not have as much plastic as a traditional denture. It is a case that the new denture will have acrylic teeth and a plastic gum but much less plastic normally associated with a familiar style denture.
Also the new denture must be fitted with a superstructure so that it can attach to the abutments using a ball and socket arrangement. Metal strengthening plates must also be built into the new denture as your biting forces will increase due to the better quality foods that you will eat.
Many dentists offer to modify your existing dentures by stripping off the excess plastic and fitting a superstructure. This is not as strong and will only last a short period of time.
Mini Dental Implants
Fact is fact, Hungarian dentists generally do not like working with mini dental implants. Hungarian dentist prefer working with full size dental implants due to the fact that they are more appropriate and have better success rates.
Timescales
Everything is dependent upon stability. You may need one trip for the implants lasting 3 days and a second trip lasting five days 3 to 6 months later. The procedure may be done in just one trip to Hungary lasting five days. If you need upper and lower jawbone denture stabilisation the dentist may want to do one arch first and the other at a later stage. It is up to the dentist to make that decision.
I will say that this is a very successful procedure and all patients that have it are always delighted with the results.
