July 2020 - Atlanta Dental Implants

I recently had two teeth fall out. I wasn’t doing anything, they just came out. I want to replace them with dental implants but my dentist said until I get my oral health under control there is no way he is giving me dental implants. Can he do that if I’m willing to pay for them?

Brandon

Dear Brandon,

If your teeth are just falling out then it sounds like you have advanced periodontal disease. This is serious. The reason your dentist isn’t willing to give you dental implants is because they will fail.

Advanced periodontal disease causes bone loss which is necessary for your teeth to be properly supported. Without that bone, there is nothing to hold your teeth in, which is why they are falling out. Even if he were to give you dental implants, the bone would not integrate with the implants and they will fall out as well. He’s saving you a fortune.

If you truly want to replace your teeth with dental implants, which I do agree is the best tooth-replacement option, then you will need to get your gums healthy. I would see a periodontist. They specialize in gum disease, which will help you get healthy quicker. Then it will be time to look into dental implants.

Even then, with the amount of bone you’ve lost, you will likely need some bone grafting done in order to get the implants.

If you don’t get this dealt with you will end up losing all of your teeth. Then you will need implant overdentures. These use six to eight dental implants and then anchor a denture to them. If you need more affordable dental implants, then you can get two to four dental implants. They have similar benefits, just with a little less support for the dentures.

Please take this seriously. This can not only ruin your smile but your physical health as well.

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

I’m losing all my teeth. I know it is my fault so I don’t want to go into all of that. It’s water under the bridge. My question is the cost difference between dentures and dental implants. I wanted to get dental implants but my dentist quoted me $96,000. Yet, I can get dentures for $1,000. I’d really like to have actual teeth. Why is there such a tremendous price difference? While I have been blessed financially, I don’t just throw money around.

Alli

Dear Alli,

Implant Supported Dentures

There are only two ways I can think of that getting dental implants would cost that much. The first is they’re made of diamonds. The second is if he is suggesting your place a dental implant in a 1:1 ratio of every missing tooth. No one does that. Well, maybe the wealthiest of individuals, but even then it would be unusual. I’m not sure why your dentist suggested that.

Instead, what most dentists recommend is what is called implant-supported dentures or implant overdentures. This utilizes between four to six dental implants on each arch of your mouth and then anchors a denture to them. Obviously six implants are better than four, but it can be done even with four. You will have all the benefits of dental implants this way, especially the protection of your jawbone.

Before you move forward with this dentist, I would ask him why he didn’t suggest implant overdentures to you. Anything else is just grabbing for money. I’m curious if he suggested that just because you could afford it. This is making me wonder if he is consistently suggesting the most expensive options for you.

An ethical dentist would give you all of your options while explaining the pros and cons of them all. I’m concerned you are not seeing an ethical dentist.

Is it possible that he just told you the cost of a single dental implant and you multiplied that to how many teeth you would need to replace? If not, and he just quoted you that price, I suggest you find a different dentist. One who doesn’t take advantage of you.

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

Dentist Refuses to Treat with Dental Implants

$100,000 to have Teeth?

Archives for July 2020