Are Dental Implants Possible After Years of Dentures?

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I’ve had dentures for a little over twelve years. I’m finally in a financial place where I can get dental implants. Is it too late for me or is it still a possibility? Are there any extra steps I need to take to make it possible?

Aimee

Dear Aimee,

Before and After Facial Collapse

You can get dental implants regardless of how long you have had dentures. However, as you suspected, there is a procedure you’ll likely need before that is able to move forward.

When your teeth were removed, your body recognized that. In an effort to be as efficient as possible, it begins to resorb the minerals from your jawbone to use elsewhere in your body. After ten or so years, you are dealing with facial collapse and will start to find it difficult to even keep your dentures in place.

What you’ll need to do in order for this to work for you is to have a bone grafting procedure done. This will build back up the missing bone structure. Once that happens, you are ready to start your dental implant procedure. In your case, because you have complete removable dentures, you’ll get what is known as implant overdentures. This will place four to six dental implants and then anchor your dentures to them.

One thing to be sure of is that your dentist is experienced in placing dental implants. They’ll need to have had adequate post-doctoral training in this procedure. Don’t just go to any dentist. One other thing to be careful with is dentist/oral surgeon relationship. In Dr. Cheeks’ case, she works with a periodontist and oral surgeon on-site.

What you don’t want to do is go to the oral surgeon first without consulting with the implant dentist. If you do, it is possible the implants will be placed in the wrong place and you’ll end up with a dental implant horror story.

The great thing about a new smile procedure is it gives you a chance to obtain a smile you will be proud of for years to come. It will be helpful to take a peek at the smile gallery of whichever dentist you are planning to use, just to make certain they know how to create beautiful smiles.

This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.

If you’re interested in seeing what we could do for you, you might want to take advantage of our free Marietta remote smile consult service.

Dental Implants after Dentures

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I’ve had dentures for quite a few years. I’m getting sick of them. They keep slipping. The last straw was when they fell out as I tried to blow out my birthday candles. Not only was it humiliating but they fell on the cake so there went dessert. Am I too old to switch to dental implants?

Tricia

Dear Tricia,

dentures side by side with a dental implant

I’m sorry for that experience. That must have been very hard for you. The good news is the people who were at your party are people who love you. They likely felt nothing but compassion for you.

Age has nothing to do with whether or not you’re a good candidate for dental implants. If you’re in good health, you should be okay. However, that being said, you’ve had dentures for many years.

The reason they’re sliding and falling out is because your jawbone has shrunken. It will continue to shrink as well. This is known as facial collapse.

You Can Still Get Dental Implants

What you’ll have to do is have an additional procedure done known as bone grafting. This will build back up your jawbone so that you can have implants placed. The bone is imperative because it is what secures the implants.

It will be too expensive for you to get a dental implant for each tooth. Instead, I’m going to recommend you get implant supported dentures. Implant overdentures use about four to six implants that anchor to your denture.

They’ll completely secure them and you’ll not have to worry about any loss of jawbone. The implants are what help preserve them.

This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.


Dental Implant When Teeth are Falling Out

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I have a problem with my teeth falling out. I want to replace them and am determined to do better with my teeth. I hear dental implants are the best. Can I get those or do I need something else in my situation?

Dan

Dear Dan,

dentures side by side with a dental implant

A lot of what you do next depends on why you are losing your teeth. If it is gum disease, then you won’t be a good candidate for dental implants. Thinking about it logically, if your gums are unable to retain your teeth, they are not going to be able to retain your dental implants.

This means your first goal is getting your gum disease treated. It will require some extra appointments for a while. The good thing this is, once your gums are healthy you’ll then be a candidate for the implants.

Until then, you can get removable partial dentures to help fill in the gaps in your smile. You can do you periodontal treatments at the same time.

Advantages of Dental Implants

  • You will have completely secure teeth again. They’ll never slip or slide around.
  • You’ll be able to eat, drink, brush, and floss anything you want, just as you would with healthy natural teeth.
  • It protects your jaw from facial collapse.

The Danger of Facial Collapse

Before and after facial collapse

When your teeth came out your body recognized that. Usually, the roots of your teeth signal to your body the jawbone is important. When those are no longer there, your body reabsorbs the minerals in your jawbone thinking they would be more useful elsewhere.

As those minerals are put to use in other parts of your body, your jaw begins to shrink. Eventually, you don’t have enough jawbone left to support your dentures.

Fortunately, once you are able to get dental implants, your body recognizes the implants as teeth roots and keeps your jawbone firmly intact.

First priority is to get those gums healthy. It’s great that you are willing to work so diligently on your oral health.

This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.