Dr. Noah's Dentistry Blog

Questions About Dentistry Answered

Is It Too Late for Me to Get Dental Implants?

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I’ve been in dentures for about ten years. I wanted to get dental implants originally, but they were so expensive. I’ve saved up, but when I went to see my dentist about switching out the dentures for dental implants, he said it was too late. Apparently, my bone shrank. Did it really take me too long? Is there any way around the bone thing or am I stuck with removable dentures?

Paulie

Dear Paulie,

Dental Implant Diagram

If they only issue is the shrinking jaw, then, no, it is not too late for you to get dental implants. You will just need an additional procedure first. I don’t know why your dentist didn’t tell you about it.

When you removed your teeth, your body recognized that and began resorbing the minerals in your jawbone in order to use your body’s resources as efficiently as possible. This has the side effect of slowly shrinking your jawbone. This is known as facial collapse. That bone is essential to help you retain your dentures. Without it, your dental implants will fail and fall out.

What you need is a bone grafting procedure that can build back up the bone. Once that has healed, then you are safe to get dental implants. Dentures can be anchored to them, giving you a secure smile. These are known as implant supported dentures. You won’t have to worry about losing any more bone structure because the dental implants signal to your bone that you have teeth which need to be secured.

Don’t pressure your dentist to do this. It sounds to me like he either hasn’t kept up with the field or doesn’t know how to do it. You will be better off finding a dentist who is trained in the procedures you need.

This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Dentist Dr. Ryan Noah.

Ordering Dental Parts Online

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Is there a way for me to order dental implant parts online that does not require me to be a dentist? What I need is the male retention parts. My dentist charges me for one what I can get for six of them online. I’m retired and thought I’d have enough to get through, but the economic problems really hit me hard. I need to pinch every penny I can or I will outlast my money. Not that I’m hoping for the opposite problem either. Any advice you have will be greatly appreciated.

Michael

Dear Michael,

snap on denture

While it is true that dentists have a great deal of overhead, this would not be a huge earner for him and should not make much difference in his bottom line. I would start by talking to your dentist about your situation. My guess is that he would be willing to work with you. If he is not, you will still have options.

My next step would be to look for a dentist who works with dental implants, who also advertises themselves as an affordable dentist. I have found that most dentists went into their profession in order to help people. Affordable dentists are especially sensitive to the financial straits that people sometimes find themselves in. You could call around to a few dental offices and tell them what you told me. It’s often the staff who orders the parts instead of the dentist anyway.

A final option would be to order from eBay. There are overseas companies who are willing to sell these to non-dentists. I’m making that a final option because you would have to know some information such as the strength of the cap you need as well as how to place them into your denture.

This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Dentist Dr. Ryan Noah.