Dentures Archives | Williams Family Dentistry

Can I Get Dental Implants After Ten Years In Dentures?

Posted on July 30, 2024 by writeradmin.

I’ve been in dentures for ten years. Now, I finally have some extra money and can get the dental implants that I have always wanted. However, my dentist hinted I may not have enough bone left to get the implants. Did it take me too long to save up?

Jamie

Dear Jamie,

While you have likely lost a lot of bone structure, that doesn’t mean you can’t have dental implants. However, it will require you get one additional procedure. Your body is designed to be as efficient with its resources as possible. When your teeth were first removed, your body recognized that and began to resorb the minerals in your jawbone in order to use them elsewhere in your body. You may have started noticing that it is getting harder to keep your dentures in place. It starts with slipping, eventually they will start falling out. Then, you won’t be able to wear them at all. In dental circles, this is known as facial collapse.

The good news is that there is a solution. You will need to have bone grafting done in order to build back up the lost bone structure. Once that is done and healed you can move forward with getting the dental implants.

You’ll be pleased to know that having dental implants in your jaw will signal to your body that you still have teeth. Because of that it will leave your new bone structure intact and you will no longer have to worry about facial collapse.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. Williams.

Dental Implants After Years In Dentures

Posted on August 29, 2021 by writeradmin.

I’ve had dentures for about fourteen years. Lately, they have not been fitting correctly and have begun slipping a bit. It is possible for me to switch to dental implants or did I wait too long?

Maddie

Dear Maddie,

Technically, it is never too late to get dental implants. However, the longer you have been wearing dentures, the more likely you are to need an additional procedure for it to work. There is a condition known as a facial collapse that begins the moment you remove your natural teeth. Your body recognizes that you no longer have teeth there because the roots are missing. It immediately begins resorbing the minerals normally used by your jawbone to use elsewhere throughout your body. It does this to be as efficient as possible with your body’s resources. The longer you are without teeth, the more your jawbone shrinks. This is why your denture is currently feeling less secure. Eventually, it will get to the point where you can’t even keep the denture in.

In order to get to where you have enough bone structure to retain dental implants, you will need to build that bone back up. This requires a procedure known as bone grafting. Once that is completed, you will be good to go for your dental implants.

Tips for Successful Dental Implant Procedure

Make certain your dentist has dental implant training. Just dental school is not enough.
If someone other than the dentist will do the surgery, make certain you see the dentist first and he or she is the one to determine the placement of the dental implants.
It would be a GREAT idea to have a CT scan done as part of your diagnostics. Dental implants are a 3-Dimensional procedure and your dentist needs 3-Dimensional images.

There are many benefits to upgrading from dentures to implant overdentures: security, increased chewing capacity, comfort; however, the biggest benefit is the preservation of your jawbone. Once those dental implants are in place, your body interprets that as you having teeth and it leaves the minerals from your jawbone in one place.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

Dentist or Oral Surgeon for Extractions?

Posted on September 13, 2019 by writeradmin.

I have a terrible fear of the dentist and pretty much only go when I need a tooth pulled. I’m 50 years old and missing a large number of teeth at this point and feel like I need to get dentures. Do I go to a dentist or an oral surgeon for that?

Ben

Dear Ben,

I’m sorry for the struggles you’ve encountered. Many times, when someone is dealing with dental anxiety it is a result of trauma in the past with a dentist, often in childhood. This causes many patients to only go in for treatment when they have a dental emergency, such as you’ve done.

I would go to the dentist who is going to do the dentures for the extractions. If you go to two practitioners, one for the extractions and one for the dentures, there will need to be perfect communication. Denture preparation is something most dentists know how to do.

Because of your dental anxiety, I’m going to suggest you use a dentist who has sleep dentistry available. This will allow you to get your dental work done without any anxiety. In fact, if you want, you can nap through the entire procedure.

A Danger with Dentures

Before you settle on dentures, I want you aware of what you’re getting into. Even the best fitting dentures will reduce chewing capacity by 50%. The dentures for your top arch are held in by suction and the bottom ones just sit on the ridge of your jawbone. This is where the biggest problem arises.

When your teeth are removed, your body recognizes you no longer have any teeth roots. In an effort to be efficient, it resorbs the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere in your body. This causes your jawbone to slowly shrink. Eventually, you won’t have enough jawbone left to support your denture. This is known as facial collapse. Because of your young age, this is especially important for you.

The Solution to Facial Collapse

The best way to prevent facial collapse is to have dental implants placed in your jaw. These will mimic the roots of your teeth and let your body know you still need the bone to retain teeth. With about four to six implants you can anchor dentures to them. These are known as implant overdentures and will completely eliminate the problems caused by dentures.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

Alternatives to Dentures

Posted on December 26, 2018 by writeradmin.

I have had dentures for a few years and I’m absolutely sick of them. I’ve given it the old college try but I can’t go any further. There have to be other options. Tell me what you’ve got.

Victor

Dear Victor

You are definitely not alone in your dislike of dentures. They have a lot of disadvantages. Even the best fitting dentures reduce your chewing capacity by 50%. They slip and slide around. However, their biggest disadvantage is the way your body responds to them.

When your teeth are removed, your body recognizes the roots of your teeth are no longer there. Recognizing that and given how efficiently our bodies were designed, it begins to resorb the minerals in your jawbone to use somewhere it perceives those minerals will be of more use.

The result of that is known as facial collapse because as more and more of the minerals are used elsewhere, your jawbone shrinks until there’s not enough left to even support your dentures.

The Best Alternative to Dentures

There’s one procedure which rises above the rest in the tooth replacement pool— dental implants. I’m honestly shocked your dentist didn’t suggest them to begin with. A good dentist lets you know what all your options in treatment are.

With dental implants, as you can see at the picture above, a prosthetic root is implanted into your jawbone. In the second phase, which is done after healing has taken place, either dental crowns will be placed or (depending on how many teeth you’re replacing) a full set of dentures can be anchored to the implants.

In an almost complete 180 to dentures, these have many advantages. First, it’s like having healthy natural teeth again. They’re permanent. They’re secure. Your chewing capacity will return to 100%. You can eat whatever you want and brush and floss as you would with your natural teeth.

However, their most important advantage is they will completely prevent facial collapse.

Talk to a dentist who has a lot of experience in dental implants. They should have a 98% success rate.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.