Question:
Has anyone had success with denture implants?

I am considering getting denture implants and I was wondering if anyone has them and how pleased they are with the results. Since loseing over 100 pounds my plate does'nt fit and I have already tried to have it religned..that did'nt work and the glue I have used for years is being discontinued. I have tried all the other glues and powders and nothing works. This is why I may go to implants but I would appreciate any imput anyone has on them...Thanks so much...I never dreamed loseing weight could affect dentures!!!    — Ju Ju P. (posted on March 8, 2003)

March 8, 2003
I had 2 implants done on my lower jaw several years ago. It was an expensive proposition because I first had to have a bone graft so there was a strong enough base for the implants. Then the implants, then the crowns to go over the implants. It ended up costing me close to $10,000 for those 3 'teeth'. I am very happy with them and wish I could afford to do at least a few on my upper jaw. I am wearing a denture for uppers (I do have one tooth left there) and so far it has not gotten too big. I don't think I'd do the whole upper, but when I first got the denture I still had 4 teeth left on my upper jaw (2 on each side) and the denture was much easier to use with those teeth to anchor it.
   — garw

March 8, 2003
My husband had all of his teeth extracted in his mid-20s due to congenital lack of enamal (he's now 50+). He was wearing ill-fitting dentures when we met, due to years of bone loss from lack of adequate pressure on the bone. Three years ago he finally had implants done on the lower jaw -- he ended up with four posts to support a bar to which clips the lower denture. He is MUCH more comfortable now, as the lower now is completely stable, enabling him to eat better. I am now trying to talk him into going ahead and doing the upper, but this area is less amenable to "taking" of the implants, especially if you haven't had teeth there for a long time -- again, lack of pressure on the bone of the jaw causes bone loss, and the implants need a stable site. It is much more likely to require bone grafting, making the procedure take over a year, plus much more costly. However, the reason I'm trying to get him to do it is that, if he can get an adequate number of implants to "take," he can get an upper like the lower, i.e., where the denture doesn't have a palatal plate (the plastic roof-of-the-mouth part) -- his very frequently gags him, and therefore, he doesn't wear it when he isn't eating -- he's a big guy with a big face, full lips and bushy moustache, and has learned to speak normally without his upper, so most people wouldn't even notice he has no upper teeth, but I think he would be more comfortable if he could wear it all the time. My suggestion is that if you have the money and are willing to invest the time and difficult period when you can't wear your denture at all, DO IT -- it will solve your dental problems for many many years to come, and it will enable you to eat properly and a wider range of foods (DH was living on hamburgers, french fries and coke when I met him -- he could only "tongue" his food against the roof of his mouth to break it down, and couldn't chew), which will probably be a healthier diet. Good luck!
   — [Deactivated Member]

March 8, 2003
Gee thanks for the information. I as considering getting Implants before the surgery. I never thought about the weight loss having an effect on the dentures fitting. Now I wonder if the Implants would be affected too. There is a temporary fix in the drug store for dentures that don't fit. You just don't think about weight loss effecting the shape of your mouth but I guess it should it effects everything else.
   — Ron T.

March 8, 2003
Yes, weight loss definitely affects denture fit!! As does aging, as your bones may shift, or align differently. Wearing an ill-fitting denture for long may damage your jaw, and make getting used to a new denture harder when you finally get one...I urge you to speak to your dentist and/or insurance company about having a new denture made. As for implants, I've only known one person who's had them, and unfortunately they had a bad experience with them, but that was many years ago... it sounds from other posters as though they are better now...
   — Kelly B.

March 8, 2003
To the poster who wondered about implants not fitting after WLS, that won't happen. The implants are titanium posts which are permanently attached (implanted into) to the jawbone. I don't think they'd ever come loose unless you suffered some other injury to that part of your mouth.
   — garw