Is It Too Late to Get Dental Implants After Ten Years In Dentures?

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I have been in dentures for a little over ten years. I’ve never liked them. They don’t really look natural. But, I just couldn’t afford dental implants at the time. Now I am in different financial circumstances and would really love to have a smile I am proud of. I mentioned to a friend I was going to get dental implants and she said it would be too late because you have to get dental implants right away or they don’t work. I’m devastated and hoping she is wrong. Can you give me some more information?

Patti – from Arizona

Dear Patti,

an image of before and after facial collapse — Before and after facial collapse

What your friend was refering to is something known as facial collapse. When your teeth were first removed, your body realized that it no longer need to support your teeth so it began to absorb the minerals in your jawbone in order to use them elsewhere in your body where they will be more useful. After about ten years, sometimes more, it becomes more difficult to keep your dentures in. Eventually, it will become impossible.

However that does not prevent you from getting dental implants. While that bone is important and necessary to keep your dental implant in place, there is a procedure that can be done, known as bone grafting, which will build back up that missing bone. Once that is done and healed, you can get your dental implants.

You mentioned one of your frustrations with your dentures is their appearance and that the dental implants will look better. I want to give you a word of caution that will ensure you get the beautiful smile you want. Even your dentures could have been beautiful, though that would not have prevented facial collapse. How natural and beautiful the dentures or Implant dentures look depends more on the cosmetic skill of the dentist than which procedure you get.

When you are choosing your implant dentist, you will want to make sure not just about their qualifications for placing dental implants, but also their cosmetic dentistry qualifications. The ideal situation would be to get an AACD accredited dentist who also has training in dental implants.

This blog is brought to you by Franklin, TN Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Chris Weber.