Archives for July 2018

Can’t Afford Dental Implants

Posted on July 28, 2018 by writeradmin.

I’m losing all of my teeth at 36. It’s my own fault. Ever since I moved out of my parent’s house, I just stopped caring about brushing my teeth. I would chew gum if my breath ever smelled bad and occasionally brush. I definitely didn’t brush often. My dentist insists because of my age I need to get dental implants, but the cost is well beyond anything I can do. If I had a time machine I’d go back and brush my teeth every day. I can’t believe not doing something so simple is reeking havoc on my life.

Dear NR,

diagram of a dental implant with root form, joining piece, and crown in and out of the bone

Are there affordable dental implants?

Hindsight is 20/20. As you can’t go back in time, we’ll just have to help you deal with the stage of life you’re in at the moment. While dental implants aren’t your only option, let me explain to you why your dentist is insisting on them.

You could get dentures, but your youthful age means there will be serious, life-threatening consequences. When your teeth are removed, your body recognizes that. Knowing you no longer have teeth roots to support, it takes the minerals in your jawbone and reabsorbs them to use elsewhere throughout your body where they’ll be more useful.

While efficient, the consequence to you is eventually you won’t have enough jawbone left to retain a denture. This is known as facial collapse. You’ll no longer be able to wear your dentures. You won’t have enough bone density for dental implants, so you’ll be reduced to a liquid diet for the remainder of your life. Think about the nutritional danger of that.

Finding Affordable Dental Implants

So, knowing what you really need long-term for your health is dental implants, how do you afford them? Don’t make the mistake of equating cheap dental implants with affordable dental implants. That’s a huge mistake. Don’t forget you’re talking about a surgical procedure. If you were having brain surgery, would you call around for the cheapest surgeon and then let them do the work? Of course not! If you’re going to invest in dental implants, you need to make sure you have a skilled dentist to do your procedure.

Many people who go for the cheapest implant dentist often end up with infections or broken implant fixtures because the dentist is either unskilled or cuts corners with subpar implants. This costs them way more than if they’d have just gone to a qualified dentist to begin with.

The best option for you is to get implant-supported dentures. Ideally, you’d want eight implants for these, but you can get them with as few as two implants. This will get you started and allow you time to save up for the rest. There are also payment plans that will help you pay off even the first two implants so you can get going right away.

The most important thing is communication with a skilled implant dentist. Let them know your situation and they’ll be able to help you find solutions that will work.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. David Pumphrey.

Will My Dental Implants Rust?

Posted on July 21, 2018 by writeradmin.

I lost a visible tooth and need to get it replaced. I keep hearing dental implants are the best replacement, but the idea of putting metal in my body worries me. Will the implant start to rust and make me sick?

Laura

Dear Laura,

Metal-free Zirconia Dental Implants in three shapes

Zirconia is metal-free and dubbed “ceramic steel”

The most common dental implants are made of titanium, which has a fantastic biocompatible track record. Because of their TiO2 (titanium oxide) layer, these aren’t like other metals and are extraordinarily resistant to rusting. This is the same material used in things such as hip and joint replacements. There have been decades of use with minimal problems. So, I’d say you’re perfectly safe getting the titanium implants.

However, there’s no absolute guarantee that oxidation won’t take place. There are too many factors. If you are concerned, you do have options.

Options to Metal-Based Dental Implants

Your first option is not to get a dental implant at all. You could get a dental bridge. They won’t require any metal, especially if you decide on an all-porcelain crown. However, that also means placing crowns on the two adjacent teeth. If there’s nothing wrong with them, that means grinding down healthy tooth structure. Something which is rarely recommended.

Your second option is to get a metal-free dental implant. These are made from zirconia and is very strong. In fact, its nickname is ceramic steel. However, there are drawbacks. This technology is newer, which means two things. One, we don’t have the amount of research we do with titanium implants to tell you they’ve been used successfully for decades. Two, they have to be handled differently and not all dentists know the newer techniques required.

Dental Implant Failure

Unless you have a severe metal allergy, your biggest concern about dental implants shouldn’t be the material base as much as the dentist who places them. You want an experienced dentist with a high success rate. Dental implant failure is real. You don’t want to invest all that time and money on such an advanced procedure with an inexperienced dentist to save money only to have the whole thing fail and you have to start over.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. David Pumphrey.

Convince My Husband to Wear His Dentures

Posted on July 14, 2018 by writeradmin.

My husband has only had dentures for a couple of months, but he’s already given up on wearing them. I know this sounds shallow, but I’m too young to have a toothless husband. We’re only 50. I love him, but he’s being a baby. He says he hates how they move around. Is there some way to convince him to wear them?

Carla T.

Dear Carla,

Implant Supported Dentures are Much More Secure

I’m quite surprised and disturbed that at your young age your dentist didn’t warn you of the danger of dentures. Before we get into that, let’s address what your husband is complaining about. He’s not actually being a baby. Even the best fitting dentures reduce your chewing capacity by 50%. And if they’re moving around on him food is almost positively getting under the dentures and irritating him. These issues can cause him to develop sores.

Why Dentures are Dangerous When You’re Young

Our bodies are remarkably efficient. When your husband lost his teeth, his body began to reabsorb the minerals in his jawbone to use where his body perceived was more necessary. This causes his jawbone to slowly shrink. The clinical term for this is facial collapse. In about 10 or so years, he’ll no longer have enough jawbone to retain his dentures. He’d be a denture cripple. Unable to eat solid food. That will take a horrible toll on his health.

Implant Supported Dentures Protect From Facial Collapse

Did your dentist happen to mention implant supported dentures? These combine two procedures— dental implants and dentures. Dental implants require a surgical procedure where a prosthetic implant replaces the roots of his teeth. Then, when a healing period is over, porcelain crowns will be placed on the implants. This signals to his body that he still has teeth. Because of the prosthetic roots, the minerals of his jawbone are left in place.

Few people can afford to get straight dental implants on every tooth. However, getting implant supported dentures makes this much more affordable.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. David Pumphrey.