Ball retained denture implants, or snap-in dentures, are one of the two types of implants available to hold dentures in the mouth, the other being bar-attached denture implants. Dentures are made of acrylic and closely resemble natural teeth and gums. Very often, today’s dentures simply look like very clean and straight teeth without anything to give away that they are false. Some people, however, have a problem using dentures because they won’t stay properly in the mouth on the gums. This is where the implant supported dentures really come in handy. In fact, they can often mean the difference between someone being able to comfortably wear their dentures and not.
Upper dentures typically stay in far better than lower dentures. This is because there’s a part of the denture that actually covers the roof of the mouth, also known as the upper palate. This action of this touching actually helps hold them in place. Lower dentures, however, are simply a strip that goes over the gums without any large piece to act as suction to hold them in. If the gums aren’t large enough to hold false teeth in place, denture implants can be necessary.
Ball retained implants are one type of implant used to do so. Someone choosing to have a denture implants procedure can have as few as two implants that go through the gums into the jawbone. These look very similar to how they sound, with a ball shape on top that typically “snaps” into a matching socket on the inside of the dentures to hold them in place, hence the name, “snap-in dentures”. Someone who needs these implants to hold a lower denture in place could have two implants, with one on each side of the mouth, holding it in place quite well. Some people may need one or two more for the best hold, and if they choose to go with this option on the uppers, so they can have the open palate denture option, they will almost certainly need four, or more, of the attachment studs.
Denture implant surgery is often a good option for someone who has a lot of trouble keeping the lower teeth in. Even if they just slip a bit, it can make a person feel far less confident in smiling and can even interfere with daily activities. Ball retained dental implants can help restore that confidence and make everything from talking to chewing easier and are well worth the associated denture implants cost.