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Duluth, GA 30097

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What If I’m Can’t Afford Dental Implants?

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I feel absolutely helpless at the moment. I feel like my teeth can’t be saved and trying to has almost bankrupted me. I had seven children and vomited almost daily during my pregnancies, which did a number on my teeth. Then, as soon as I was done having children, when I thought I’d get to take a break and take care of myself for a change, I was diagnosed with cancer. The radiation and chemo have also done a number on my teeth. They are literally crumbling. My dentist said I need to get dental implants but there is no way I can afford them. What if the only thing I can do is afford dentures? Will it be as horrible as my dentist is hinting?

Kristin

Dear Kristin,

An image showing before and after facial collapseI am so sorry for all you have been through. Let’s see if we can figure out some helpful solutions for you. First, understand the reason your dentist is pushing you toward dental implants.

When your teeth are removed, your body recognizes there are no roots of your teeth to support. In order to be as efficient as possible with your body’s resources, it will then start to resorb the minerals in your jawbone in order to use them where they are more needed. This has the unfortunate side effect of shrinking your jawbone. After about ten to twenty years, you will no longer have enough jawbone left to even keep your dentures in. This is known as facial collapse.

Having dental implants placed signals to your brain that you still have teeth that need to be supported. As a result, it leaves the minerals of your jawbone in place. This is the ideal solution. Rarely, however, is life ideal.

One thing you can do is only get implants on your lower arch. This is the most important when it comes to facial collapse because the dentures actually rest on the ridge of your jawbone. Your upper arch is held in by suction so you are safer to leave those with dentures.

If you can’t afford to do full implant overdentures on your lower arch, then maybe see if snap on dentures are a possiblity for you. This can use as few as two dental implants and will at least preserve some of your jaw.

I hope this helps and that the remainder of your treatment goes well.

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

How Far Back Should My Dentures Go?

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I had to get lower dentures. I still have my wisdom teeth. on my top arch. Because of that, I am literally chewing on my lower wisdom teeth gums. My dentist does not seem to understand why this is a problem. Shouldn’t the denture go back to where the wisdom teeth are?

Kevin

Dear Kevin,

A complete set of removable dentures with a pink acrylic base and white teeth.

While getting removable dentures is never really completely comfortable, your dentist is allowing unnecessary pain in this situation. I suspect he just doesn’t want to fix it because it would mean starting over for him.

Your denture actually should have covered the wisdom teeth to begin with, as well as go a little past that area to what is called the retromolar pad. While they can’t cover the entire retromolar pad or it will interfere with an upper denture, they can cover a bunch of it and, as I said, it can cover the entire wisdom tooth area.

If you have already paid for the denture, you may not have leverage. However, you can tell him that you spoke to another dentist and learned that he should have covered that area. If he still doesn’t make this right, then tell him you are going to be sharing a review that he doesn’t make his products correctly and then refuses to fix them.

The Big Danger with Completely Removable Dentures

Implant overdentures

Implant Overdentures

I don’t know if your dentist warned you about this, but it is important so I am going to mention it here. Once your teeth are removed, your body senses this. As a result, it will begin redistributing the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere in your body. It does this in an effort to be as efficient as possible with your body’s resources. Unfortunately, it does have the nasty side effect of slowly shrinking your jawbone. After ten or so years, you will not have enough jawbone left to keep your denture in. This is known as facial collapse and why you often see denture wearers with skwunched up faces and their dentures falling out all the time.

The way to prevent this is to have implant overdentures placed instead of completely removable dentures. The implants serve as prosthetic tooth roots, which signals to your body that you still have teeth there. As a result, it leaves your jawbone alone thereby preventing facial collapse.

Additionally, it also takes care of all the other negative issues that come up with dentures. You’ll find your quality of life goes up exponentially with implant overdentures than it would with removable dentures, including your ability to eat. With dental implant support, you can eat anything you want. Even the best fitting removable dentures will reduce your chewing capacity by 50%.

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

Help! My Dentures Won’t Stay In?

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Can you tell me if there is a solution to a problem I’m having? I’ve been in dentures for 20 years. Recently, I can’t even keep them in with those adhesives. I went to see a dentist and they told me I didn’t have a ridge anymore and that was part of having dentures. Is there any way to fix this?

Laura

Dear Laura,

An image showing before and after facial collapse

What you are dealing with is known as facial collapse and while your dentist is right that it is part of dentures, he left out the solution. This occurs because when your teeth are removed, your body immediately recognizes that. In an effort to be as efficent with your body’s resources, it begins to resorb the minerals in your jawbone in order to use them elsewhere in your body. The problem with that for you is that your jawbone begins to shrink. After ten or so years, you no longer have enough jawbone left to retain your dentures because the ridge is no longer there to hold them in place.

That being said, there is a solution. I am not sure why your dentist didn’t tell you about it unless he doesn’t know how to do the procedures necessary. However, he could have referred you to someone who does.

Fixing Facial Collapse

The first thing that needs to happen is the building up of the bone. This can be done with a bone grafting procedure. Once that is healed, you have a couple of choices. You now have your ridge back. You can just get new dentures. However, the whole cycle of facial collapse will start over again.

If you want to permanently keep that bone in place, I recommend you get dental implants placed. Then, your dentist can anchor the dentures onto them. This is known is implant overdentures. Not only, will you never have to worry about facial collapse, but your dentures will never move again. They will be completely secure. You’ll find your quality of life goes up tremendously.

I hope this helps.
This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.

Should My Dentist Refund Me for Not Finishing My Denture On Time?

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I needed my overdenture replaced. However, I knew I would be relocating soon for a new job. I asked my dentist how long it would take to make a new one for me. He told me it would take three weeks. I didn’t actually receive it until a little after nine weeks. However, even after it did come in, the dentist had a devil of a time getting it attached. He had to force it on. After I got home, I could not even eat a bowl of pasta. I was in so much pain. Eventually, I was able to get it off. Unfortunately, when I tried to put it back in, I found that impossible. I called them and scheduled an emergency appointment. My dentist wasn’t in, but I saw one of his partners. He told me that the denture was not properly made. Not only was it at a slant, but the holes were not drilled out properly. Then, I got a call a WEEK later, saying they’d just ordered the new gaskets. I don’t have any time left. I have to move. Is it unreasonable for me to ask for a refund and have this fixed with whatever dentist I end up with in my new location?

Kevin

Dear Kevin,

Implant overdentures

Implant Overdentures

You should definitely get a refund from this dentist. He made a legal agreement with you by telling you that they would have your dentures ready in three weeks. He missed the agreed time by a significant amount. Then, when he finally did get them to you, they did not meet the minimum standard of care with the results. Though you should not have trouble getting a refund if this dentist has integrity, I have found that sometimes dentists who do shoddy work are the most reluctant to give a refund, no matter how well deserved. If that happens to you, there are ways for you to gain some leverage.

First, tell him you will leave a review telling him about the horrendous service you received. Believe it or not, these reviews have a large impact on their business. You could also tell him that you would be willing to write a positive review about his integrity and his willingness to make things right.

If that does not work, your second piece of leverage is to threaten to go to the dental board. Dentists do not like dealing with the dental board, so this carries more weight than you might think.

Finally, you could do a malpractice lawsuit, but the truth is I don’t think this would do you much good. You wouldn’t get enough to justify the cost, not to mention the hassle and time, of the suit.

Hopefully, he’ll step up and do the right thing.
This blog is brought to you by Dr. David Marion, who tries to be one of the best dentists in Duluth, GA.

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.