Thirty years ago, I had to get dentures. They were never pretty, but I did not expect them to be. They were dentures after all. Recently, a friend of mine got dental implants and they are absolutely beautiful. Is it too late for me to get those for my teeth? I would love to have a pretty smile.
Emily
Dear Emily,
Implant supported dentures
I have great news and bad news for you. I’ll get the bad news over with first. The truth is you would have been able to have a beautiful smile thirty years ago, even with dentures. What determines whether or not they are pretty has nothing to do with them being dentures and everything to do with the cosmetic and artistic skill of the dentist making them. Your dentist at the time seems to have been lacking in artistry.
Now for the great news. As long as you are in good general health, there is no reason why you cannot get dental implants now, with one caveat. It is highly likely that you will need to have some bone grafting done first. This is because when your teeth were removed your body began to resorb the minerals in your jawbone to be used where they are most needed. With no teeth roots to hold in place, they were not needed in your jawbone.
Dental implants require bone in order to keep them secure. Even more importantly, you will eventually not have enough jawbone left to even keep in your dentures. This is known in dental circles as facial collapse.
Having dental implants placed signals to your body that you still have teeth roots in your mouth and then it leaves the minerals for your jawbone in place. Very few people can afford to replace each individual tooth with dental implants. Instead, they have about four to six dental implants placed and then anchor dentures to them. These are often called implant overdentures. This will give you a completely secure smile that will increase your quality of life significantly. Just make certain your dentist has post-doctoral training in placing dental implants. Also check that they can create beautiful, natural looking smiles. One way to check their artistry is by looking at their smile gallery.
This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.