I feel trapped and am looking for some advice. I had to get dentures, way earlier than expected. While I realize this is my own fault, it doesn’t change how difficult it is. I have hated the dentures from the beginning. My dentist assured me I would get used to them. I haven’t. They’ve made my life a total misery. Is there a way to improve the situation?
Paula
Dear Paula,
Implant Supported Dentures
I completely sympathize with what you’re going through. While some people adjust to dentures, others never do. There are many reasons for that.
- Reduced chewing capacity
- They move around
- Gag Reflex issues
- Food gets under them
- Facial Collapse
That last one is so important I’m going to deal with it more in-depth.
The Dangers of Facial Collapse
Our bodies are amazing. When your teeth were removed, it immediately recognized that. In an effort to be as efficient with your resources as possible, it began resorbing the minerals in your jawbone it perceived you no longer needed to sustain teeth, which it then distributes elsewhere in your body.
This has the unfortunate side effect of slowly shrinking your jawbone. After ten years, you will likely be dealing with facial collapse and no longer have enough jawbone to even retain your dentures.
You mentioned this happened much earlier than you expected, which hints to me you are still fairly young. I wanted to emphasize the danger you were facing so you could intervene sooner rather than later.
Implant Overdentures: The Solution to Facial Collapse
If you have dental implants placed, these can be attached to your dentures. This has a two-fold benefit of completely stabilizing them and protecting you from facial collapse. Your body interprets the implants as teeth roots and leaves your jawbone intact. You’ll also find your quality of life goes up significantly as well.
While many times implant overdentures require between six to eight implants per arch, there are ways to make this more affordable. The key is good communication with a skilled implant dentist.
This blog is brought to you by Atlanta Periodontist Dr. David Pumphrey.
