I have had all my top teeth out and only have 6 bottom teeth left
Q. Dear DR Suri my life has been hell for the last 5 years when I had to have all my top teeth out i only have 6 bottom teeth i find it terribly hard to wear a top denture it is very ill fitting and it only stays in with loads of fixture i have had two other sets made which were a complete waste of time neither of them fitted me i was sent to london hospital for help but all they did was make me the most hideous set of teeth i have ever seen i am 54 years old but feel 80 because of how this has ruined my life I would just like to know if there is any chance of me being able to have implants They did tell me about a year ago that i didnt have enough bone also i cant bear the bottom denture in my mouth and my greatest fear is losing the only remaining 6 teeth that i have thankyou for your advise
A. I understand how dentures can feel horrible in your mouth, especially when they are ill-fitting and don’t look good.
Implants are always an option. The main contra-indications are smoking and diabetes. The implant success rate is not as good in these circumstances. It is usual that when teeth are extracted the bone remodels and usually resorbs which means that it shrinks away as it has nothing to support. This is more of a problem in the upper arch because of the air sinuses that are directly above. If you wanted to explore the option of having implants the best thing to do is to find a dentist that carries out these procedures on a regular basis. Implantologists should also know how to graft bone, if they don’t they will work closely with somebody that does. This way treatment can be planned so that you get the result that you want. There are 2 options to restore your upper tereth. 6-8 implants can be placed and a full arch bridge can be made to fit over the top. This means that you won’t need a n individual implant for every tooth. This option will probably require you to have a sinus lift and bone graft to make sure there is enough bone and after a healing period of abut 4 months the implants are placed. This has a healing time of about 6 months and then the final restorations can be made. During each of the healing times you would have to persevere with wearing your denture. You could also a couple of implants placed in your lower jaw.
Implants are always an option. The main contra-indications are smoking and diabetes. The implant success rate is not as good in these circumstances. It is usual that when teeth are extracted the bone remodels and usually resorbs which means that it shrinks away as it has nothing to support. This is more of a problem in the upper arch because of the air sinuses that are directly above. If you wanted to explore the option of having implants the best thing to do is to find a dentist that carries out these procedures on a regular basis. Implantologists should also know how to graft bone, if they don’t they will work closely with somebody that does. This way treatment can be planned so that you get the result that you want. There are 2 options to restore your upper tereth. 6-8 implants can be placed and a full arch bridge can be made to fit over the top. This means that you won’t need a n individual implant for every tooth. This option will probably require you to have a sinus lift and bone graft to make sure there is enough bone and after a healing period of abut 4 months the implants are placed. This has a healing time of about 6 months and then the final restorations can be made. During each of the healing times you would have to persevere with wearing your denture. You could also a couple of implants placed in your lower jaw.
The other option is to have 2 or 3 implants placed in your top jaw and have a new denture made. This new denture would be very dfferent from the one you have now. It would clip into the implants which means that it would be sturdy and not move around. Therefore you could talk and eat with confidence. You may not need a bone graft for this if there is enough bone in anterior part of your mouth. The denture would also have much less covering on your palate so it wouldn’t feel as obtrusive. Obviously you still have to take the denture out at night.
For both procedures I think you would need a CAT scan to determine exactly how much bone you have and where the implants should be placed
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