Full dentures or implants?

[nixnax]

Hi all.

I'm looking for some advice. Basically my entire life I have had nothing but problems with my teeth (my dentist says it seems to be a genetic issue), they have been the bane of my existence. I got them all assessed and the estimated bill to fix all problems came back between $15000-$16000 (australian $), plus on top of these issues I also have overcrowding too. I briefly discussed with my dentist the possibility of getting false teeth, as it would cost me a lot anyway to get my natural teeth fixed inc braces, but I can't justify spending this money when my dentist has told me a lot of the treatments I would be paying for may not last a lifetime. She says implants are the gold standard (but almost impossible for me as the cost of a full set is unattainable), after that she recommended 4 screws, 2 top and 2 bottom, with what I understood to be a set of teeth that clip on over the top of the screws, she said this was a good option as it retains some blood flow to the jawbone. Her final option was dentures, but she let me know of her concern that getting dentures at my age (29) could cause the jawbone to deteriorate, which could overtime change the shape of my face.

So I'm guess I'm after real life experiences. Has anyone had dentures at a young age? Any advice on all 3 of the options? I would really appreciate any help or advice. Thanks in advance!

 

[wilson68944]

Re: Advice on getting false teeth at 29 yrs old?

Hi all.

I'm looking for some advice. Basically my entire life I have had nothing but problems with my teeth (my dentist says it seems to be a genetic issue), they have been the bane of my existence. I got them all assessed and the estimated bill to fix all problems came back between $15000-$16000 (australian $), plus on top of these issues I also have overcrowding too. I briefly discussed with my dentist the possibility of getting false teeth, as it would cost me a lot anyway to get my natural teeth fixed inc braces, but I can't justify spending this money when my dentist has told me a lot of the treatments I would be paying for may not last a lifetime. She says implants are the gold standard (but almost impossible for me as the cost of a full set is unattainable), after that she recommended 4 screws, 2 top and 2 bottom, with what I understood to be a set of teeth that clip on over the top of the screws, she said this was a good option as it retains some blood flow to the jawbone. Her final option was dentures, but she let me know of her concern that getting dentures at my age (29) could cause the jawbone to deteriorate, which could overtime change the shape of my face.

So I'm guess I'm after real life experiences. Has anyone had dentures at a young age? Any advice on all 3 of the options? I would really appreciate any help or advice. Thanks in advance!

I am 28 and what you're facing is amongst my top 3 nightmare worst case scenarios in life. It all comes down to what's most important to you in life. I'd be willing to spend up to 50k on my teeth if it meant avoiding removable dentures. I'm from the USA so I know about spending exorbitant amounts on health care. If I were you I would go with a permanent denture. Which is a full set of teeth on top and bottom that is anchored in by screws to your jaw bone. It can only be removed by dentists. This way you retain stimulation to your jaw bones so they don't shrink and you don't have a denture covering your palate. You're still young, imagine being intimate with girls with removable dentures in your mouth that might shift or something. I think your mouth is more important than a car. So I'd finance whatever you'd be willing to spend on a car on your teefers. Plus, at least in my head, if they are permanently affixed to your mouth and you can't take them out they're a good as real to me.

If they were my teeth I'd spend the 16k fixing them. Nothing is better than your natural teeth. I doubt you'll ever find a dentist that will guarantee anything for a lifetime.

 

[comfortdentist]

Sorry to hear of your circumstances. While I can't give specific advice I have made a brief list of my advice for early tooth loss.

The problem is as soon as you take out the teeth you start losing bone rather rapidly. It is that bone that holds the denture in and it is also that bone that we use for implants. Within the first 2-3 years after extractions about 50% is lost. The eroding of bone continues at a slower rate but never stops. So what are your alternatives?

Least expensive to most:

1. Have the doctor place a bone graft into all the sockets(holes) when the teeth are extracted. This bone graft must be one that doesn't absorb readily. ( xenografts and some artificial grafts)

2. Same as above but add 2 implants to lower denture and then use locator attachments for increased retention. (This is a major improvement and well worth the cost)

3. Add 2 more implants to bottom

4. "All on four" with plastic teeth

5. " All on four" with zirconia.

Next I would consider implants on top also. In general, people do much better with top dentures than with lower dentures, so implants here are not as crucial. Individual implants under a denture on top aren't reliable long term. Rather than 2 implants you should go to all-on-4 to 6 implants.

 

[nixnax]

Thanks for the helpful post Comfort Dentist. The one with 2 posts, upper and lower, is the one my dentist recommended as it's cheaper than implants but will still retain blood flow to the jaw. Looks like I'm going to have to do a lot of research before I make a decision! Thanks again.