Is It Too Late for Dental Implants If I’ve Worn Dentures for 17 Years?

Is it too late for dental implants if I’ve worn dentures for 17 years? What can I expect from the procedure? Thanks. Lucas

 

Lucas,

Wearing dentures for years will not prevent you from getting implant dentures.

Can You Get Dentures After Wearing Dental Implants for Years?

You can get dental implants after wearing dentures for decades. However, the longer you wear dentures, the more complex your dental implant procedure will become. When all your teeth are missing, they can no longer stimulate and preserve your jawbone. As the jawbone shrinks, your facial muscles will begin to sag.

Getting dental implants often requires bone grafting procedures to ensure they have enough support. Your dentist or oral surgeon may use bone harvested from your body, such as the hip, or the dentist may recommend donor, bovine, or artificial bone.

The All-on-4 or All-on-6 procedure is an alternative to bone grafting. The procedure angles the rear implants in the jawbone to help prevent displacement.

We recommend consulting a skilled implant dentist with post-graduate training in implantology. Otherwise, a dentist with implant denture experience can refer you to an oral surgeon. Ensure that you visit the dentist before the oral surgeon. They can coordinate your care so the dentist provides dentures that fit your mouth and bite. The surgeon will use a surgical guide to place the implants based on the dentist’s plans for your denture placement. After an exam and CT scan, the surgeon will explain your implants and bone grafting options.

Your implant dentures will be stable and look and feel more like natural teeth.

Rocky Hill, CT, dentist Dr. Thaddeus Michalski sponsors this post.

 

How Long Will It Take to Get Implant Overdentures?

I am anxious about how long it will take to get implant overdnetures. My teeth have deteriorated so much over the past five years that my dentist referred me to a periodontist. Only two of my teeth are worth saving. But my gum disease is so advanced that I decided to go with dentures. I am 62 years old, so the perio told me about dental implants. She was not pushy at all. She just explained how implants might help me. Although I am still deciding, I think I will go with four dental implants for an overdenture. I have not talked to my dentist or the periodontist about my anxiety level. The older I get, the more anxious I become. Although I didn’t fear dental implants in the past, the thought of extractions, possible bone grafting, and implant surgery sometimes causes me to panic. I just want it to be over. I realize that your office is not a specialty office. But can you give me an idea of how much dental work I can get done in one sitting? Thank you. Esther from Nashville

Esther,

How much dental work a dentist or periodontist will do in one sitting depends on several factors, including the patient’s tolerance, the work to be completed, and whether you receive sedation.

How Long Does It Take to Get Implant Overdentures?

How long it takes to get implant overdentures depends on several factors, including tooth removal, gum and bone health, the number of implants you receive, your health and tolerance, and the specialist’s judgment.

• Tooth removal – If your periodontist must remove teeth before implant placement, it will lengthen treatment time. Sometimes after tooth removal, a periodontist must build up your bone before placing implants.
• Gum health – A periodontist will ensure your gums are healthy before placing dental implants. She will treat your gum disease first. Gum disease can lead to jawbone loss, and healthy bone is a requirement for dental implants.
• Bone health – Besides healthy bone, you need enough bone volume to support dental implants. If you lack jawbone volume, a periodontist will recommend bone grafting to anchor your dental implants. Otherwise, the implants can loosen and fail. After bone grafting, your periodontist may wait three to four months before placing implants.
• How many implants you receive – An oral surgeon or periodontist places one dental implant at a time. The more implants you receive, the longer the surgery will take. Each implant can take one to two hours to place.
• Your final implant denture – You will wear a temporary denture until your implants and jawbone fuse. And that can take about four months. Afterward, your dentist will secure the final denture to the implants.

How Sedation Dentistry Affects Your Dental Work

When you receive implant overdentures or any dental work, sedation dentistry will help you relax throughout the procedure. Even if you do not have dental anxiety, sedation helps a dentist complete more work than they could without giving you sedation.

After an examination and 3-D x-rays, your periodontist will make a treatment plan. They will explain how much dental work you can expect for each appointment. But sedation dentistry will alleviate your anxiety during each dental visit.

 

Rocky Hill, Connecticut, dentist Dr. Thaddeus Michalski, sponsors this post.

 

How Can I Find Affordable Implants for My Pop-Up Denture?

I got a bum pop-up denture from a dental school. I won’t say which school it came from, but now I know I should never have gone the cheap route. The bottom denture pops up whenever I move my tongue, yawn, or cough. I press it back down, and it pops up again. I want to be furious, but I am disappointed with myself for choosing the school. I don’t have much money, but neither am I broke. A friend recommended his dentist, but I chose the dental school figuring the instructors were supervising and I could get a good deal. Now I need affordable implants to hold the denture down. Where do I start? – Thomas from NJ

Thomas – Thank you for your question. We are glad that you are seeking professional advice before getting dental implants. Please begin by avoiding looking for a bargain or the cheapest implants.

How Can You Get Affordable Implants for an Existing Denture?

You may find affordable implants for an existing denture by scheduling a consultation with a skilled implant dentist. The dentist will examine your denture to determine why it lifts and whether the dentist can fit it for implants. Depending on the condition and quality of your denture, a dentist may be able to refit it, or you may need a new denture.

Qualifying for dental implants

Before placing dental implants, a qualified implant dentist will take a 3-D CT scan to see your oral anatomy and bone volume. If you have worn dentures for years, you may have some bone shrinkage. The dentist will determine whether you have enough bone volume or need a bone graft to support the implants. You will get a customized treatment plan to ensure the dentist places your implants precisely and the dentures fit the implants securely.

Getting Dental Implants that Fit Your Denture

After implant surgery, you will wear temporary replacement teeth. In three to four months, your jawbone and implants will fuse. Your implant dentist will take impressions of your mouth to ensure your existing or new denture fits your implants securely.

Expect to pay well for high-quality dentures and implants. Thorough, well-planned implant-supported dentures take time and skill. With patience and a good implant dentist, your frustration will change to satisfaction when you receive a stable, natural-looking smile.

Schedule a consultation with one or two advanced implant dentists to discuss your options and how to make treatment affordable.

Dr. Thaddeus Michalski, a Rocky Hill, Connecticut dentist and Diplomate of the International Congress of Oral Implantologist, sponsors this post.