6745 Sugarloaf Parkway
Suite 200
Duluth, GA 30097

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Archives for March 2022

Bone Grafting Didn’t Work. Now What?

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I don’t know if third time can be the charm for me or if I should just give up. My dentist has placed many dental implants over the years so I felt fairly confident going into my dental implant procedure. Unfortunately, once he got in there he realized there was some problem with my bone structure and did not place the implants. He suggested we do a bone grafting procedure and then try again. I agreed and off we went to the bone grafting procedure. After the specified period of time, we went in for a second stab at the dental implants. Again, he said there was still not enough bone and he thinks I should just get a dental bridge. If I absolutely must, I supposed I must. However, I’ve invested so much in there and really wanted an implant. Is there any chance I can get one?

Kevin

Dear Kevin,

illustration of a dental implant next to a tooth

I believe it is still possible for you to get a dental implant, however, you may have to do it with another dentist. One with stronger implant credentials and experience. I don’t want to be hard on your dentist. He actually sounds like one who has integrity, a passion for getting it right, and is upgrading his skills. Those are fantastic things to have in a dentist.

Some dentists, with less integrity than your dentist, would try to save themselves the embarrassment of saying their procedure did not work and just go ahead and place the dental implant. Then, in a year or so, the implant would fail. You would have no idea it was because of something your dentist did wrong. Instead, your dentist did what was best for you in the long run.

It sounds like, though he has done many implant placements, he is new to doing the bone grafting. This is also a good quality in a dentist. It means that he is actively working to learn new skills and have more options for his patients. Most dentists who do dental implants don’t even try bone grafting and will just have you get a dental bridge just saying you don’t have enough bone for an implant. I would not give up on him as your dentist. You definitely have a keeper. I just think this one procedure needs someone a bit further along.

So, who should you get? I would look at the implant credentials on Dr. Marion’s bio to give you some idea of the type of training and experience you will need for this.

This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.

Can I Get Dental Implants After 30 Years in Dentures?

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I have been wearing dentures for close to thirty years. Because of that, I have not had a pretty smile in many years. Plus, my dentures don’t even stay in anymore. I think they have stretched out over the years. A friend of mine has dental implants and her smile is beautiful. Is it too late for me to get a beautiful smile with dental implants?

Laurie

Dear Laurie,

Implant overdentures

Implant Overdentures

Technically, you can get dental implants at any time. However, the length of time that you have been in dentures means you are dealing with facial collapse. I don’t know if your dentist warned you when you first received your dentures, but this is one of the downsides to dentures. When your teeth were removed, your body recognized that and began resorbing the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere. While this is a remarkably efficient way of preserving your body’s resources, it does have the unfortunate side effect of slowly shrinking your jawbone. At this point, you probably have very little jawbone left. This is actually the reason why your dentures are not staying in.

Before you get the implants, you will need to build back up that bone structure again. This can be done with a bone grafting procedure. Once that is completed, you will need some healing time. From there, it will be time to get your dental implant procedure going. Because you were in full dentures, you will get implant overdentures, which is much more affordable than trying to replace each and every tooth with a dental implant.

Getting a Pretty Smile

Getting a beautiful smile has very little to do with whether you have dentures or dental implants. Instead, it is based on the skill of your dentist in cosmetic procedures. Dentures can be made to look stunning and dental implants can look fake. It all depends on the skill of the dentist. I would ask whatever dentist you choose to work with to see his smile gallery. This is a brag book of sorts that shows before and after pictures of cases he’s worked on. You’ll want a dentist who gets beautiful results. If they do not have a smile gallery, that means they do not do enough cosmetic work and likely cannot give you the beautiful smile you have been hoping for.

This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.