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I have dentures and they have made it hard for me to eat. In fact, I sometimes take them out for meals. That should tell you something, if no teeth are the better option. I don’t have a ton of money. Is it possible that a dental school would do this for less money? Is it safe to do that?
Luke
Dear Luke,
Dental schools definitely need patients. That is how that they train all of those bright, young students. One problem you will run into is that while every dental school teaches how to do removable dentures. Very few teach how to do dental implants. There are post-graduate programs that teach it, but they are spread out. It may be a little trickier to find one.
That being said, it is certainly worth trying. They will charge you less money because you will be working with a student, which is super helpful in your situation. Bear in mind that your appointments will take longer for that same reason. Students will be slower because they are learning, plus their instructors need to go over their work.
You are not alone in having trouble with dentures. In fact, even the best fitting dentures will reduce your chewing capacity by 50%. Some people also develop sores on the lower arch or find the denture plate on the upper arch causes them to gag.
The bigger issue is what it does to your jawbone. The moment your teeth were removed, your body recognized that and began to instantly resorb the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere in your body. If there are no teeth roots to support, then there is no need to support them.
It is efficient, but has the unfortunate side effect of of slowly shrinking your jawbone as those minerals are spread out elsewhere. After about ten or so years, there will no longer be enough jawbone left to support your lower dentures. In dental circles, this is known as facial collapse.
Having dental implants placed signals to your body that you still have teeth. This will preserve your jawbone and prevent facial collapse.
This blog is brought to you by compassionate Auburn, AL Dentists Drs. Murphree and Yount.
