Issue 38.11
It’s true in business and it’s true in denture retention. Implants locate dentures in the proper location over the ridges of bone left after tooth removal. They also keep the denture in place for efficient chewing of food and proper speech. Implants for dentures keep the denture from slipping or falling out of position or even the mouth. I could tell you many stories of people who were ill and then vomiting flushed their dentures down the toilette. Others yelling out a window or off a building have lost their dentures. When we chew, the forces of mastication can pinch the underlying tissues if the denture is out of place even a very small amount. This causes chronic irritation to the tissues of the mouth. The old equation for cancer in the mouth is: repeated irritation plus the unknown equals cancer. I’ve seen it.
The common reasons people give for not getting implants to retain their dentures are, they heard they fail, cost, pain, don’t know what kind they need, their dentist doesn’t do them. Dental implants are over 95% successful. Four Mini implants in my office, using Care Credit, can be around $200 dollars a month for a year with no interest. In many cases old dentures can be retrofitted for the implants. Medication is prescribed for the modest pain that is sometimes felt following implant placement. Four Mini implants per dental arch are the minimum number that should be used and are far superior in stability than the older way of just placing two large implants in the canine area. The old two implant method still allows for rocking like a teeter totter. Your dentist can refer you to my office if he doesn’t do implants. My patients tell me “I wish I had gotten these Mini implants years ago”.
Phillip Hall is a practicing general dentist in St. George. He is also head of the St. George Craniofacial Treatment Center, and operates St. George Dental Careers, a successful dental assisting school. Board Certified Diplomate of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine. Appointments for general dentistry or dentures call 656-1111. For sleep apnea appliances or TMJ problems call 634-8338.