Does My Mother Have Options Other Than Dental Implants?

Posted by writeradmin

My mother is 84 years old with teeth that need a lot of work. Her dentist is suggesting that she remove them and get dental implants. I’ve looked into this and it appears to require a pretty extensive surgery. At her age, I am a bit concerned this is more than her body can handle. Are there better options for someone at her stage of life?

Danielle

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Dear Danielle,

 

I am glad you wrote. Under normal circumstances, it would be important to get dental implants to replace her missing teeth, especially on her lower arch. When her teeth are removed, her body recognizes that. As a result, it will begin to resorb the minerals in her jawbone in order to use the resources of her body as efficiently as possible. The downside to that is it starts to shrink her jawbone. In about ten or so years, she will not have enough jawbone to even keep her dentures in. This is known as facial collapse.

If she were younger, this would be disastrous. Given her age, I don’t think facial collapse is her biggest issue. You know her best, but depending on her health, the surgery required for the procedure might not be worth the risk. In that case, what you can do is simply get her dentures. These can replace her teeth without the hardship of having dental implant surgery.

If she’s perfectly healthy and you think she’ll be around for quite some time, then dental implants will protect her jawbone. I would factor in her health before making a decision.

This blog is brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel.