I’ve had dentures for about 12 years and can finally afford dental implants. Have I waited too long or is it still possible?
Beatrice
Dear Beatrice,
The answer to your question is yes. However, there is a “but”. When your teeth were first removed, your body, in an effort to use its resources as efficiently as possible, resorbs the minerals in your jawbone. It does this because, without teeth, it doesn’t think you need the bone any longer.
This has the unfortunate effect of shrinking your jawbone. In dental terms, it is called facial collapse. The amount of time you’ve worn dentures is enough to allow facial collapse to set in.
Dental implants require you have enough bone structure to retain the root form. There are two ways around this:
The first thing you could do is have the bone grafting done in order to build the bone back up. This is an outpatient procedure .
A second option is with All-on-Four Dental Implants. This is for patients who have only lost some bone and are looking for a way around bone grafting.
Using shorter implants and angling them, can help your dental implants to stay on. This has helped quite a few patients get dental implants that wouldn’t otherwise. However, not as many dentists know how to do the procedure.
Your best bet is to meet with a skilled implant dentist. Look at Dr. Delaune’s qualifications to see what type of dentist you will need to do this well for you, regardless of which procedure you choose.
This blog is brought to you by New Orleans Dentist Dr. Duane Delaune.