Dr. Robert Thein's Implant Dentistry Blog

Is it possible to put the permanent dentures on pre existing implants? Can old implants be removed if necessary by adentist otherthan the one who installed them?
- Louis from New York

Louis
Yes, if your existing implants are solid, it is possible to put a permanent denture in over them, with some possible exceptions. Or, if there is a problem with old implants, a new dentist can remove them.

To use your existing implants, they need to be well-placed. Your new dentist will probably want to examine them carefully with a CT scan, to make sure they are in good quality bone and not poking through to some inappropriate place such as a sinus cavity. And if you keep the existing implants, it could affect your range of options for the overdenture. But if the implants are well placed and solid, your new dentist should be able to work around them and construct an implant overdenture using them.

I am missing about half my teeth. The remaining teeth are discolored, some have holes or are badly decayed. But I don’t want dentures. I’ve heard many people complain about their dentures, that they don’t stay in well, and they can’t chew well. And they look fake.

But I don’t have a lot of money, and I’ve heard about mini implants and wonder if that would work for me. I want teeth that look natural and will stay in my mouth permanantly.

Thank You,
Shelly from Indiana

Shelly,
If your teeth can’t be saved, then you have two choices – complete dentures, or dental implants.

Mini implants are appealing to many people, because they’re advertised as cheaper. They do save a little money, but they simply aren’t very strong. Since they don’t have much diameter, they don’t have much holding power in the bone. The best you could do with mini implants is to stabilize a denture – so you would still have a denture, but it would stay put a little better.

If you really want teeth that look natural, and enable you to chew naturally and they will stay put permanently, then dental implants is the way to go. If you want to save money, you do fewer implants. While a dentist could maybe put in eight implants in the upper arch and eight more in the lower, and that would make for a really nice, stable result, you could stabilize your teeth quite well with only two implants in each arch, and that would cut the cost down to 1/4.

My recommendation is to find a dentist in Indiana who is highly qualified in implant dentistry, and who will listen to your budget concerns and work with you to tailor a plan for affordable dental implants.

Other links:
Read about the best toothpaste.

How many implants will I need for a full upper and lower? Can you use a crown attached to the teeth that go on the implants, to fit on the other existing teeth that I have, so as to make it more solid. What are the  best kind of implants?

Thank You
- Marion from Pennsylvania

Marion,
You’re smart to be looking at dental implants when you are missing all your teeth. Just getting a removable denture will lead to a gradual loss of jawbone until in ten or twenty years you become a dental cripple with facial collapse.

The number of dental implants will vary from patient to patient and will depend on the condition of your mouth and your budget. Be very wary if you go to an implant dentist and they tell you that there is only one possible solution. When it comes to dental implants, there are always a variety of ways to replace all of your teeth.

I’m not sure what you mean by attaching to your other teeth. If you have good teeth left, you don’t need a full upper and lower. But yes, implants can be combined with your natural teeth in various ways.

As far as which dental implants are the best, there isn’t one “best” brand. Rather, there are several good companies that make quality implants. Pick a reputable implant dentist, and they will be sure to use only quality components. If you look for the cheapest dentist, you leave yourself vulnerable to low-cost implant components that don’t fit quite exactly and may come loose after a few years. Look for a dentist with credentials (either fellowship or diplomate status) from either the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, or the American Board of Oral Implantology. Those are the two most prominent organizations that provide credentials to implant dentists. Or, you can look for training at the Misch Institute, which is a premier training facility. Unfortunately, the American Dental Association hasn’t made implant dentistry a recognized specialty yet, but finding a dentist with one of these credentials will help assure you of getting quality care.

I hope this is helpful.

Other links:
Read about how to pick the best implant dentist.

I am writing to you because I am so depressed about my teeth and I just want some advice from somebody who cares. I have had extreme problems with my teeth since I was very young. I remember having several root canals as a teenager. I had a front tooth then that broke off. I had to fix that, so I got a bridge, but it looks ugly. Now I have other teeth that are infected. When I got married, I finally had dental insurance, so I went to get my teeth fixed. But there is so much wrong, I can’t keep up with it. Should I just get them pulled?

Regards
-Elizabeth from Wisconsin

Elizabeth,
Here’s the problem with just pulling all your teeth out. Your body, once the teeth are gone, starts to dissolve away the jawbone. If you have removable dentures, they gradually get more and more loose, and you get them relined, until, in about 20 years, you have what we call facial collapse and you become a dental cripple.

I had my bottom jaw teeth pulled today. I had in mind to get dentures. (They were cracked.) But, I am having second thoughts. Can you combine dental implants with bridges? What is the cheapest route without going to dentures? My teeth are too brittle to hold the fillings. What are my options? Besides marrying a dentist? I have about $5,000 available for dental work.

Thank you!
Christina from Missouri

Christina,
If you have had all your lower teeth pulled, I would strongly recommend having some dental implants placed. If you don’t, in about ten or twenty years you will be a dental cripple, suffering from facial collapse.

The more dental implants you have, the better. But if cost is a strong factor, as you’re indicating, you can get by with only two implants in the lower jaw. That should keep the cost within your budget, assuming there aren’t any complications. Then you have a denture made on top of that, and the dentist can place snap-on fixtures so that the denture will snap in. This will give you teeth that will stay in securely, and the bone around the dental implants won’t shrink and shrivel up.

There is no problem with combining dental implants with bridges, crowns, partial dentures, or any other dental work.