I was wondering if I would be a candidate for dental implants. I am 33 yrs. old and a cancer survivor. My teeth decayed from the gums up and I had dentures but my bottom set will not stay in. My gums are getting thin. I am healthy, but I am borderline diabetic, and have high blood pressure that is controlled with medicine.
- Eileen from Texas
Dear Eileen,
You could very well be a candidate for dental implants. You do have some health problems that would have to be considered, so your implant dentist would need to get your whole health history and possibly confer with your physician, but I imagine you would qualify.
I hope other people who are having all their teeth extracted see your story, because it’s important for them to know how your jaw shrinks and makes it impossible to hold a denture after not too many years. What you’re experiencing is called facial collapse, and it happens to everyone who has all their teeth extracted, after a number of years. The only good way to get your bottom teeth to stay put is to get implants. At least two to hold in each denture, up to eight implants for each jaw, depending on what you can afford.
You also need to prepare yourself to be needing some bone grafting. When your jawbone shrinks as yours has so that there is practically nothing left, you need to have that bone built up in order to support dental implants. There may be some implant dentists who tell you they can’t do anything for you, but it can be done if you find the right dentist.
Check our Chicago dentures page for more information.