I’m a 52-year-old woman and have been wearing dentures for about 15 years. Lately, I cannot keep them in no matter what I do. Not even that nasty adhesive stuff works. It’s very embarrassing because I am still quite young (at least in my mind) and when I don’t have them in I hardly have any jaw at all. Will replacing them fix this or is there something else going on?
Carla
Dear Carla,
You have been in dentures long enough to start seeing the results of facial collapse. When your teeth were removed, your body began to resorb the minerals in your jawbone in order to use those natural resources elsewhere in your body where it perceives they will be more useful. It’s actually a remarkable demonstration of efficiency. Unfortunately, that means in somewhere between 10 and 20 years you no longer have enough jawbone to keep your dentures in your mouth. That is where you are right now.
It does not appear that the dentist who provided you with dentures warned you about this. That is a shame because he should have realized, at the young age you received them, this would be an issue. The good news is this isn’t hopeless. There is a way for you to get your smile back.
The first thing you will need is to have bone grafting done in order to build back up that lost bone structure. Once you’ve done that you have two choices.
Option One: Replace the Dentures
You can simply get new dentures made. This will be your least expensive option. However, bear in mind that in about ten more years you will be in the same situation again. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Instead, if you can, I am going to suggest you go with the next option.
Option Two: Get Implant Supported Dentures
With implant-supported dentures, your dentist will place four to six dental implants and then attach a denture to it. This will drastically improve your quality of life in a few ways.
- Increased Chewing Capacity: No matter how well-fitting dentures are, you lose about 50% of your chewing capacity. By adding dental implants, you get that back.
- Total Security: Because they are anchored to the implants, they are rock solid. No slipping or sliding. It feels more like having natural teeth in your mouth again.
- No chance of facial collapse: Because the dental implants serve as prosthetic tooth roots, your body interprets it as you having teeth again. As a result, it leaves the minerals in your jawbone completely intact and inplace.
This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Steven Collins.