facial collapse Archives - Dr. Noah's Dentistry Blog

Is It Too Late for Me to Get Dental Implants?

December 21, 2024 by writeradmin

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,

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.

My Dental Implants Fell Out

October 25, 2024 by writeradmin

I got eight dental implants in order to not have removable dentures. I’ve paid for about 1/2 of the procedure and am supposed to pay the remaining 1/2 soon. After just a few days, three of the dental implants fell out and another one feels loose. I have two questions. First, should I have to pay for the ones that fell out? Second, should I be worried about the other implants, especially the loose one.

Susan

Dear Susan,

Your choice of getting implant supported dentures was a good one which, when done properly, will prevent facial collapse. Obviously, your dentist did not do it properly and I am sorry to hear this happened to you. You have very legitimate questions and concerns. First, you should not expect to have to pay for the dental implants that fell out. A basic tenant of dental work is that it actually stays in your mouth. Most dentists with dental implant training have a 95% success rate. Your dentist is looking at a an abysmal 50% success rate, with that fourth one already loose. Not only that, most cases of dental implant failure that do happen would take at least a year. Your dentist’s work didn’t even last a few days! As to the other implants, I would not hold out too much hope that they are going to stay in.

Reasons for Dental Implant Failure

Infection at the implant site. This is often because of poorly fitting fixtures.
Poor bone support. This can be completely avoided by your dentist doing adequate diagnostics.
Cheap dental implant fixtures.
Incorrect placement of the implant fixture.
Premature loading of the denture or dental crown. This happens where there was not given enough time for the bone to integrate with the implant before putting stress on it.

Do not pay any more money to this man. You need to get these looked at by another dentist who can tell you what has gone wrong. Don’t let your dentist choose who gives you the second opinion. You want someone with dental implant experience. However, you might want to choose a dentist from a different city. That way there will be less of a chance that they are friends. The dental world is a small one.

If the second opinion dentist wants the diagnostics and notes from your current dentist, he or she is under an ethical obligation to provide them.

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

Dentist Said I Need Implants that I Cannot Afford

January 13, 2023 by writeradmin

I don’t know what to do. I lost two teeth a year ago and need to fill the space. My dentist wants me to fill it with dental implants but I just can’t afford to do that, especially because he wants full payment up front. Do I have any other options that are more affordable? I hate looking like a hillbilly.

Kevin

Dear Kevin,

The good news is that you do have options. Before going into them, I want to make sure you understand how important it is that you do get these teeth replaced. When you have open spaces in your bite, the adjacent teeth will begin to shift or tip into that space, which will throw off your bite. Aside from an unsightly smile, that can also lead to painful TMJ disorder.

While dental implants are your best option because they protect you from bone loss in your jaw, they are not your only option. Sometimes, you need to get an affordable option while you save up for the ideal procedure.

Tooth replacements, other than a dental implant, range from a dental bridge, which is also permanent, all the way down to a dental flipper, which is removable and meant to be temporary. If you plan on saving up to get dental implants, then I would get the dental flipper. It is your least expensive option and will keep your teeth in place while you work toward your goal.

If you have no intention of getting dental implants, then I would lean toward the dental bridge. It is permanent and will give you a greater sense of security. You’ll also have a much higher chewing capacity than if you were to get something like a removable partial denture.

Finally, bear in mind that dentists differ in their willingness to work with patients financially. If you look for a dentist who advertises him or herself as an affordable dentist, they may be willing to let you pay your treatment out slowly. This could give you a more realistic chance of getting the better procedure.

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

My Dentures Won’t Stay In

February 7, 2022 by writeradmin

I’m am only 58 years old and have lower dentures. They will not stay in anymore. My dentist told me that I have lost a lot of the ridge that holds them in. Is there anything I can do to keep them in? Not even adhesives work at this point?

Della

Dear Della,

Before and After Facial Collapse

This is a difficult position you are in. When you first got dentures, your body immediately recognized that you did not have teeth on your bottom arch anymore. In order to be as efficient with your body’s resources as possible, it began to resorb the minerals in your jawbone in order to use them elsewhere in your body where it feels they will be more useful. This has the unfortunate effect of shrinking the jawbone, which includes the ridge that holds in your dentures. This is known as facial collapse. By the way, it also tends to make you look older than you are as well.

Implant Overdentures

The solution to this is bone grafting. It is an outpatient procedure that will build the bone back up. Once you have that bone you have a couple of choices. You can just get dentures again, but you will have the same cycle of facial collapse start again. Ideally, you would instead get implant supported dentures. These use between four to six dental implants and then anchor the denture to them.

If you cannot afford that many dental implants, you could look into getting snap-on dentures. This uses just two implants and your denture will snap onto them. This will keep your bone in that area from shrinking, which will prevent them from falling out ever again. Obviously, the implant overdentures will be more secure because they have more implants, but even just the snap-on dentures will be a good option for you.

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

Will My Face Really Collapse if I Get Dentures?

May 30, 2019 by writeradmin

I’ve had massive problems with my teeth. So much that they’re all coming out. I’m new in my career and don’t have a lot of money. Because of that, I want to get dentures. My dentist wants me to get dental implants and said because I’m in my 30s getting dentures would cause my face to collapse. Is that true or is he trying to scare me into the more expensive procedure?

Marcus

Dear Marcus,

dentures and dental implant side by side

I don’t know how your dentist explained this to you. I’m sorry you have had so much trouble with your teeth. What your dentist is calling facial collapse, is a term used to describe the shrinking of your jawbone.

This happens after your teeth are removed. Your body recognizes there are no longer teeth roots there. As a result, in an effort to be efficient, it takes the minerals from your jawbone and redistributes them elsewhere to areas it perceives they’ll be more useful. As your dentist mentioned, this has unfortunate repercussions.

How Dental Implants Prevent Facial Collapse

As you can see from the image on the top right, dental implants place a prosthetic root in your jawbone to replace the root you lost when your tooth was extracted. This signals to your body that there are still teeth there and your jawbone remains intact.

So, here’s is what I’m going to recommend to you. First, try to save all the teeth you can. Natural teeth are always worth fighting for. You can get dental implants for the ones which can’t be saved.

If you are unable to save any teeth, it would be too much money for you to do a one-to-one ratio of teeth to implants. Instead, you’d get something called implant overdentures. This places four to six dental implants and then you can anchor a denture to them.

This gives you the protection of dental implants without needing one for each tooth.

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

Dental Implants or Implant Overdentures

February 5, 2019 by writeradmin

I’m a little confused. I can’t figure out the difference between dental implants and implant overdentures. Some people seem to use them interchangeably but I think they’re different. Can you help me? I need to replace a few teeth and don’t know which one to get.

Sandy M.

Dear Sandy,

A dental implant is the fixture that is implanted into your jawbone to take the place of your tooth root. When the healing period is over, then it is topped with a porcelain crown to stand in for the visible part of your tooth.

Uses of Dental Implants

Dental implants can be used to replace a single tooth or multiple teeth. They’re also used to completely replace all your teeth. That’s where implant overdentures can come in handy.

Because these are the top of the line procedure for replacing your teeth and the procedure itself is very advanced and requires a great deal of post-doctoral training, it is the priciest of your options.

If you wanted to replace each and every tooth with a single dental implant, you’d end up costing yourself a fortune. Implant overdentures gives you the advantages of dental implants without having to place one at every tooth.

You can usually place four to six dental implants per arch and then anchor a set of dentures to them.

Advantages of Implant Overdentures

When your teeth are removed, your body begins to reabsorb the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere in your body. This has the unfortunate result of causing your jawbone to shrink.

After a number of years, there isn’t enough jawbone left to retain dentures. This is known as facial collapse. The implants protect you from this because your body interprets the implants as teeth roots and leaves your jawbone intact and secure.

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

Dentist Says Dental Implants are a Necessity

December 9, 2018 by writeradmin

I’d planned on getting dentures once my teeth are extracted. However, my dentist says he only does partial and no longer does complete dentures. Instead he’ll only offer me dental implants. Of course, they’re way, way more expensive. That doesn’t make any sense to me. I noticed on your site you offer both. Is my dentist just making a money grab?

Megan

Dear Megan,

It sounds like your dentist will only offer what he considers the ideal treatment. Dr. Noah’s treatment philosophy is not everyone can afford the ideal. Instead, he’ll tell them all the pros and cons of their decision and then leave it up to them.

It’s a shame your dentist just told you the ideal without explaining why. I’ll try to explain the difference here.

The Danger with Dentures: Facial Collapse

When your teeth are removed, it doesn’t just take the crowns of your teeth, but the roots underneath the gums as well. Your body recognizes this and (being the efficient living machine it is) decides to take the minerals in your jawbone which were used to help support your tooth roots and use them elsewhere in your body where it perceives they will be more useful.

The sad result of this is your jawbone begins to shrink. This is known as facial collapse. It means after 10 or more years, you will appear many years older than you really are. Even worse, you will no longer have enough jawbone left to support your dentures.

Dental Implants Prevents Facial Collapse

If you look at the image at the top of the page, I have a side by side of dentures on the left and a single dental implant on the right. Notice especially the dental implant. There is a root form that is implanted into your jawbone. Then, after a healing period, a porcelain crown will be placed on top.

It’s the prosthetic root which signals to your body, “Hey! There are still teeth here. We need our jawbone.” This protects your jawbone from being resorbed.

Implant Overdentures Can Save You Money

While dental implants are more costly, implant overdentures can work using just four to six dental implants and then attaching the dentures to them. This has several benefits.

It much less expensive.
It will preserve your jawbone.
Your dentures will be secure, unlike regular dentures.

Again, I’m sorry your dentist didn’t explain this to you. I hope it helps in your decision making process.

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

Why is My Face Shrinking?

October 13, 2018 by writeradmin

I’ve heard you can get smaller as you age, but lately, it seems like the lower half of my face is shrinking as well. I don’t know what’s going on. My dentures barely fit anymore. I’m afraid to go out in public because there’s no room for them and they slip out. Is this typical?

Avery

Dear Avery,

An illustration of the damage done by facial collapse using two pictures of a woman, one before and one after

Wearing Dentures for Too Long Causes Facial Collapse

What you’re suffering from is known as facial collapse. This occurs when you’ve been wearing dentures for a number of years. When you remove your teeth, your body realizes that you no longer have teeth roots in your jaw. Because our bodies are incredibly efficient (I mean what other pieces of equipment holds up for 80 years living mostly off burgers and fries?), it resorbs the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere, perceiving they’re no longer needed.

This is why your jaw is slowly shrinking. It’s also why your dentures no longer fit properly. Eventually, you will be unable to keep them in your mouth at all, leaving you a dental cripple stuck on a liquid diet. I’m concerned your dentist neither warned you about this nor recognized what was happening to you.

A Solution for Facial Collapse

There are two solutions for you. Both will include getting bone grafting done. This is where a surgeon builds back up the bone you’ve lost. After that, you can choose to have your dentures remade to fit the new structure. Just bear in mind, you’ll face the same issue of disintegration that your original dentures caused.

Another option is for you to replace your teeth with dental implants. This uses prosthetic tooth roots, usually made out of titanium, to help your body to know the bone is still necessary to hold in the new roots of your teeth. They have other benefits as well.

Advantages of Dental Implants

They are permanently secure. Once they’re placed, it’s like having healthy, natural teeth back. There’s no slipping. No sliding.
Your chewing capacity will increase dramatically.
They protect you from developing facial collapse.

The key is to communicate with your dentist and let him look and advise.

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

Affordable Options for Dental Implants

May 31, 2018 by writeradmin

I need to get almost all my teeth replaced. Are dentures a decent affordable option for dental implants?

Casey

Dear Casey,

Wearing Dentures for Too Long Causes Facial Collapse

Are dentures affordable? Yes. Are dentures an option for dental implants? Yes. Are dentures a decent option to dental implants? Absolutely not. Look at the image above. This woman has lost most of her jawbone, a condition commonly known as facial collapse. It’s caused by wearing dentures for too long, meaning about ten years or so, depending on your bodies reaction. Here’s why.

The moment your teeth are removed, your body begins reabsorbing the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere throughout your body. This causes your jawbone to get smaller and smaller. The longer this goes on, the less jawbone you have. Eventually, you won’t even be able to wear your dentures because there will be no ridge for them to adequately rest on.

Dental implants protect you from facial collapse. It does that by having prosthetic implants in your jawbone. That tells your body the minerals are needed and leaves them in place.

Working with Dentists to Get Affordable Care

You don’t have to compromise on your procedure to afford the care you need. First, you should know that in most cases the dental implant procedure is paid for in stages because the procedure itself is done in stages. That may help you with the cost.

If you’re having trouble finding a dentist who’ll allow you to do that, I suggest you do a search for “affordable dentist” online. They will be much more willing to work with patients financially. Those who don’t have in-house payment options will work with Care Credit.

Care Credit is a medical credit card. But, it has better features. You get to pick your terms. Depending on your credit, you can even get zero percent interest on repayment. Plus, if you end up having additional funds, there is no penalty for early repayment.

I hope this helps you.

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

Are Dental Implants Really Superior?

April 30, 2018 by writeradmin

I’ve got three teeth that need replacing thanks to a baseball bat that hit me instead of a pinata. The neighbor kid has a swing like you would not believe. Seriously, the Yankees should already be on the phone with his parents. I wanted to get a removable partial denture because it seemed the most in line with our budget. But, my dentist keeps pushing me toward dental implants. He says it’s because the teeth are at the front of my bottom jaw. I looked into it and, yeah, they’re stronger, but I get the feeling he’s saying to get them because he’ll make LOADS more money.

LeeAnne

Dear LeeAnne,

If you call the Yankees and it pans out, maybe you’ll get a recruiter fee. Before we get into your treatment options, I wanted to ask whether your dentist had given you a reason in the past to doubt his integrity and think he’s just trying to get you to do the most expensive treatment? It’s important you’re able to trust your dentist. If you have a reason not to feel he can be trusted, you’d be better served to find a different dentist. You want a dentist you can trust.

Now, onto your question. I think your dentist is concerned about the effects of facial collapse on your lower jaw. If you’re missing three teeth in that same area, your jaw will begin to shrink. Dental implants protect you from that. The implanted prosthetic root tells your body teeth are still there and your jawbone is still needed. So, yes, they’re stronger. But, they also protect your jawbone from slowly disappearing.

What Your Dentist Should Provide

Ethically, your dentist should tell you all of your options whether he thinks they’re good options or not. However, he should also recommend which options he thinks are better, along with why. He’ll know the pros and cons of each option and should take the time to share them with you.

The second thing he should provide is answers. You should be able to ask as many questions as you need and he patiently provides answers. It sounds like you were totally unsure about his recommendation. I don’t know if you asked questions and he refused to answer or if you weren’t comfortable asking.

Know when you’re talking about your health and finances, you have every right to ask questions. I know some dentists tend to get offended when you ask questions as if because they’re the dentist they should not be questioned. But that is unfair to patients.

Options for Missing Teeth

Removable Partial Denture

These have the obvious downside of not being permanent. Plus, we already discussed facial collapse. As far as quality of life goes, some patients complain of food getting under their denture. Their big benefit is their price.

Dental Bridge

These are permanent, but you still have to deal with the facial collapse. Additionally, the more teeth you need to replace on the same bridge unit, the less stable. If one part of the bridge breaks, the whole unit has to be replaced. Where your bridge would have to be placed is especially tricky.

Dental Implants

These are permanent, strong, and will protect you from facial collapse. Their biggest drawback is their cost and the fact it requires surgery.

Those options are up to you, though. A dentist can strongly recommend one solution over another, but it is up to you which one you pick.

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