I have difficulty with my complete upper denture staying in position as I have a cleft palate. Can dental implants be used to help make this more secure?
Adult patients with cleft palates often have an upper jaw with deficient bone and soft tissue irregularities. Surgically altered cleft palates are often associated with deformities of the upper jaw or maxilla. The dental and periodontal status in these adult patients are commonly in a compromised state from providing long-term support and retention for prostheses (teeth) that aid in speech. Oropharyngeal rehabilitation of adult patients with cleft palate can be a perplexing clinical situation. Most adult patients with cleft palates who have undergone numerous surgical procedures for closure of alveolar palatal, or pharyngeal defects, have large areas of scar tissue present. Scar tissue is less resilient and more difficult to border mold and this inhibits formation of an acceptable denture border seal. The palatal vault often contains numerous scar bands, is flat and extends no higher than the back of the residual alveolus with little underlying bone. These tissue characteristics and an
