I am in complete removable dentures now, but am saving up to get dental implants. It is likely going to take me a while. Is there a time where it becomes too late to get dental implants?
Marv
Dear Marv,
There isn’t really a time when it is too late to get dental implants. However, there may be another step in order for you to have a successful procedure. When your teeth were removed, your body responded by beginning to resorb the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere in your body. This is your body’s effort to be as efficient with your resources as it can.
Unfortunately, this has the effect of shrinking your jawbone as you can see in the image above. After ten or more years, you will no longer have enough of your jawbone left to keep your dentures secure. At some point, you won’t even be able to keep them in. This is why dental implants are far superior to dentures. The implants serve as prosthetic tooth roots which helps your body realize you still need your jawbone to keep them in, thereby protecting your jawbone.
The bone in your jaw is necessary. It is what integrates with the implant in order to have solid retention. Without that bone integration, your dental implants will fail.
So, depending on how long you have been in dentures, you may need to have some bone grafting done in order to build up enough bone. This is an outpatient procedure. Once that is completed and you’ve had time to heal, then you can move forward with the implant procedure.
When all of your teeth are removed, you will generally get six to eight implants on each arch. Then, after the bone has integrated with those implants, your dentist will anchor your dentures to them. Now not only will they be completely secure, but also your chewing capacity to go up significantly, and you will no longer have to worry about facial collapse.
This blog is brought to you by Libertyville Dentist Dr. David Potts.