Seeking Advice

[dylan123]

Hello everyone,

I am trying to decide the best course of dental treatment for myself.

My choices are a complete top denture with implants or implants on beam bridge.

Have any of the forumers had these treatments and if so, could I kindly ask for your opinions on the pro's and con's of each treatment.

This is a really big decision for me and I have to live with the consequences so I am hoping I can find some good to people to point me in the right direction when making my decision.

I am terrified I make the wrong choice!

Thank you,

Trish

 

[comfortdentist]

Need more information
Age
Health
Do you currently have teeth?
If not how long without teeth?
What's your history

 

[dylan123]

Need more information
Age
Health
Do you currently have teeth?
If not how long without teeth?
What's your history

hello, thanks for your response.

in answer to your questions I am 55 and in good overall health. I have five top teeth and a bridge with three on top. dentist wants to remove them as i have gum disiease. on the bottom i have nine and dentist wants to remove two . at the moment i have a partial denture and cant stand the plate on my palate. trish.

 

[dylan123]

meant to add my four front teeth were removed around a year ago due to bone shrinkage as my caps i think you call them... screws that went into my gums kept falling out. thanks trish.

 

[comfortdentist]

First at 55 and healthy you can expect to live many more years so it is good to give considerable thought to your treatment.
You also stated your don't like your palate covered at all so implants are the only way you will have any retention. There are several implant therapies that work.
1. multiple implant splinted(joined) with a bar that the denture is rigidly held in with nothing on the palate.
2. Multiple implants restored with one large bridge just like crowns (porcelain)
3. Multiple implants with a screw retained metal framework with denture teeth on top.

I am assuming that you have lost some volume of bone from the periodontal disease. Option 1 requires that there is considerable bone loss or it doesn't work
Option 2 is best when there is mild to moderate bone loss
Option 3 works with moderate to severe bone loss.

Often the best approach is to remove teeth graft the sites do a full wax-up with teeth and obtain nice aesthetics. At this point both you and the dentist will know how far away from your gums the actual teeth will be, how much gums you show and how nice you will look at the end of treatment. Most dentists know how to get to this step and it is a very important step. So basically you start by determining where exactly you want your teeth to end up then you can work back to the bone. Expect to pay for this procedure.

 

[dylan123]

thankyou, have a cosultation this week... i know it is expensive but you have confirmed its the best plan... at a young 55 should get my moneys worth.... thankyou again trish.