I’ve had many crowns and bridges placed on teeth. I have horrible genes when it comes to teeth. I mean the worst. It’s getting to the point where more and more teeth are failing me and I’m thinking about just pulling them all and just getting implant overdentures. However, two years ago I had my first dental implant placed. It’s loose. I thought these were supposed to be longterm. If they only last two years, I’m not sure implant overdentures will be a good solution. What do you recommend?
Charlie
Dear Charlie,
Before we get into whether or not you get implant overdentures, I want to discuss your loose implant. This shouldn’t be loose. Dental implants are a lifetime type of treatment. There are three parts to a dental implant: the implant itself, the abutment, and the crown.
The loose feeling could actually mean the crown is loose. Then, it’s just a simple matter of fixing the bonding. The worst case scenario is the implant itself is loose. But, early intervention can still save it depending on the root cause. You don’t want dental implant failure.
Should You Get Implant Overdentures?
If your teeth absolutely cannot be saved, then implant overdentures are a fantastic solution to replacing all of your teeth. However, I’m a big believer in saving as many natural teeth as possible. While dental implants are the closest thing to having natural teeth, having healthy, natural tooth structure is always better.
The good news is any dental implants you have now can be used on an implant overdenture you get in the future, saving you costs later down the road. So if you happen to lose another tooth or two, the implants aren’t wasted.
If Your Implant Fails
When you use an experienced implant dentist, the success rate is 98%. Like any medical procedure though, sometimes the dentist and patient can do everything right but the procedure still fails. It doesn’t happen often but does happen. If it happens to you, all is not lost. It can be done again.
You’ll lose bone structure during the loss of the implant. Because of that, you’ll need to do a bone grafting procedure to build back up the bone before you can have another prosthetic. Fortunately, that’s a simple one-day procedure which true implant dentists will know how to do.
Best of luck and see to that loose fixture right away.
This blog is brought to you by Glendale, CA Dentist Dr. Robert Thein.