Dental Implants - My Thoughts

Deciding whether or not to have implants placed can be difficult for many people. The added cost as well as the thought of having surgery to place something in the jaw is enough to make many people say "forget it".

I get that, but I want to shed light on the whole process and really want people to make an informed decision on whether to go forward with implants or not. The more information you have, the better your decisions will be.

As far as I am concerned, implants should be the minimum standard of care when it comes to dentures. When it comes to implants, there are far more benefits than disadvantages. I have seen way to many people suffering because of ill fitting dentures, especially the lower denture, due to severely resorbed bone. For many people, no matter what you do (relines or new dentures) it makes no difference. If there is nothing there to support the denture, the denture will not have any support.

Implants are the best solution to all of these problems, providing dentures that are snapped or fixed in place thus eliminating denture sore spots and embarrassing social situations with dentures dropping/popping out. Implants allow the patient to eat virtually all of the foods they were able to eat with their natural teeth effectively.

Some other benefits include better digestion due to being able to chew your food properly, better nutrition because you can eat what you want, an increase in the taste, temperature and texture of food vs. a standard denture because the palate in the upper plate can be reduced and your natural palate exposed.

People's number one excuse for not getting implants placed is regarding the cost. Yes, they cost more than a standard denture, but the cost is minimal for the improvement in the quality of the rest of your life. It is an investment in your self esteem, your health, and your overall happiness.

Another excuse that I hear is that the patient is too old to go through the cost and hassle of surgery. The only response I have is what if you live another 10 years? Would you rather suffer for those 10 years with dentures that are not working for you or your nutrition, or would you rather live those 10 years in comfort and without worry about what you can eat or can't eat, without the pain and discomfort of dentures that are floating around?



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