Archives for July 2019

Are Implant Supported Dentures Permanent

Posted on July 31, 2019 by writeradmin.

I’ve had dentures for ten years. I absolutely hate them. Absolutely. I was thinking of switching to the ones with implants but I don’t know enough about how they work. Are they permanent or do the implants come off like a prosthetic limb can? Are they any better than regular dentures?

Laurie

Dear Laurie,

Implant Overdentures

You will be much happier with implant-supported dentures than you are with your current completely removable dentures. Unlike, prosthetic limbs, the implants are surgically placed into your jaw, making them permanent and secure. Once the healing is complete, your dentist will anchor your dentures to the implants. This allows your dentures to be as secure as your implants.

One of the things you’ll notice fairly quickly is a dramatic increase in your chewing capacity. Even the best fitting dentures reduce your chewing capacity by 50%. You’ll be much more able to enjoy all the foods you once did.

Implant Overdentures and Facial Collapse

Because you’ve had dentures for ten years, you may find that when you go in for your evaluation that you’ve lost bone structure in your jaw and need an additional procedure first. This is because when your teeth were first removed your brain recognizes that. In a desire to be most efficient, it then resorbs the minerals in your jawbone to be used elsewhere in your body. Unfortunately, the result is your jawbone slowly shrinking. In dental circles, this is called facial collapse.

That bone structure is required in order to maintain the security of the dental implants. Without it, your implants will become loose and fall out.

Your dentist will let you know if you have enough bone still present and intact to have good osseointegration take place. If you don’t, there is still hope. There is a bone grafting procedure which will build back up the missing structure. This will allow you to get the dental implants you need.

The best thing about getting implant overdentures is having the prosthetic tooth roots in your jawbone fools your body into thinking your natural teeth are still there. This prevents the loss of minerals, thereby leaving your jawbone completely intact.

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

Bone Grafting Didn’t Work

Posted on July 29, 2019 by writeradmin.

I want to get dental implants after about seven years of dentures. My dentist said I’d lost some bone because of the dentures, which seems weird to me. He suggested we do bone grafting first. Well, we did. Then when I went in for the dental implant surgery he told me the bone grafting didn’t take and he had to close me up. Now, he’s talking about doing all-on-4 dental implants, which he said doesn’t require as much bone. Why didn’t he do that to begin with? Am I being taken?

Kevin

Dear Kevin,

All-on-4 dental implants

It doesn’t sound like you are being taken by your dentist as much as it sounds like your dentist is in a bit out of his depth. It is true that after wearing dentures your body loses jawbone. Our bodies are remarkable. It recognizes when your teeth are removed. Knowing there are no longer any roots for our teeth it perceives the minerals in your jawbone would be of better use elsewhere. It resorbs those minerals which leads to your jaw shrinking. After a while, you wouldn’t have enough jawbone left to even retain your dentures. This is known in dental circles as facial collapse.

Bone grafting is a great solution for this because it restores the missing bone structure, enabling you to get the dental implants which will improve your life so much. It sounds like he’s new at bone grafting which is likely why this was a struggle. We all start somewhere. Truthfully, the fact that your dentist is adding to his skill set and working toward keeping up with the advancements in his field is a great sign.

While his suggestion of all-on-four dental implants is okay, I wonder how experienced he is with this procedure. It’s a little more complicated. If one part of it goes wrong, the whole thing will have to be re-done. If you were to go this route, I’d ask your dentist how many of these procedures he’s done and what his success rate is.

Options for Your Dental Implnats

You can go with the all-on-4 dental implants, but if your dentist isn’t very experienced with this procedure, I’d seek someone else to do it.

You also have the options of getting traditional implant overdentures, but you will need to have the bone grafting re-done. This can be successful. The more bone you have, the better your chances at a successful dental implant procedure. Again, to do this, you’d need another dentist.

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

Can I Get Dental Implants Instead of Dentures?

Posted on July 16, 2019 by writeradmin.

I finally have dental insurance. I’ve lost eight teeth because of gum disease. I’ve been trying to get them healthy but know I’m going to lose a few more in the meantime. Is it possible for someone like me to get dental implants or will I have to get dentures?

Ellie

Dear Ellie,

You are definitely on the right track. Plus, dental implants are the top-of-the-line tooth replacement option for you, especially when you’re losing so many teeth. It’s great that you are getting your gum disease under control because that is the first step you’d have to take in order to be a candidate.

It’s possible that you’ve lost a significant amount of bone as well, which will require an additional procedure called bone grafting. This is necessary because you need the bone to integrate with the implant to keep it secure.

Once those things are taken care of you are good for getting your dental implants.

Benefits of Dental Implants

No matter how well-fitted dentures are, they reduce your chewing capacity by 50%. With dental implants, your new teeth are completely secure. You’ll be able to eat whatever you want without any trouble.

The biggest benefit of getting dental implants, however, is it prevents facial collapse. When your teeth are removed it signals to your brain the roots of your teeth are no longer there. Because your body strives to be efficient, it resorbs the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere.

After about ten or more years you no longer have enough jawbone left to retain your dentures. This is known as facial collapse.

Getting dental implants prevents this because the implants let your brain know there are still teeth there which need the bone support, so the minerals are left in place.

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