A Life Saver for Long-Term Denture Wearers.

The more years a "toothless" person wears complete dentures, the more problems occur. Over a lifetime of wear, the bone under a denture melts away significantly. Many of these patients sooner or later end up as a "dental cripple." Most of these patients are so embarrassed with their situation that they will "suffer in silence" for years before seeking help. They are mortally afraid that someone close to them will find out that they are wearing dentures. Obvious proof of this dilemma is the number of denture adhesive commercials that air on prime time television every night.

There are approximately 18 million completely edentulous people in the United States. It is estimated that 20 percent of these denture wearers are considered dental cripples. This disability occurs due to the inability for a person to comfortably retain a set of dentures in their mouth. This can occur immediately when the denture is delivered following tooth extraction or at any time over the years of denture wear. Inability to wear conventional dentures occurs most often due to severe bone loss in the supporting jaws. Another reason for denture intolerance is that some of these individuals cannot tolerate an artificial foreign prosthetic device in their mouth. Of the 3.6 million dental cripples approximately one half (1.8 million) cannot afford the medical solution to their dilemma, namely, dental implants.

Several solutions are available that solve the problems of loose embarrassing dentures. They include fixed teeth and removable implant supported dentures.

Fixed implant supported teeth function and feel very similar to natural teeth. Most denture wearers are not candidates for this procedure due to excessive bone loss. Even with the new bone grafting procedures it is difficult to achieve an esthetically satisfactory result for these patients. Patients who have undergone recent extractions are the best candidates for fixed implant supported replacement teeth.

A removable implant supported over-denture is the most common method for stabilizing loose uncomfortable dentures. The procedure can be done to support both the upper and lower denture. The upper arch requires five to six implants and the lower arch requires four to five implants. A stabilizing bar is attached to the implants. An over-denture is constructed to fit over the bar with a soft silicone gasket. This gasket serves not only to hold the denture in place but also as a stress breaking mechanism between the implants and the denture.

The implant supported over-denture system is cost-effective and a life changing procedure for the dental cripple. The long-term success has proven to be excellent.

Dr. William D. Nordquist, heads Implant Dentistry of San Diego, 2304 Sixth Ave., San Diego CA 92101.