I have dentures and I am losing bone. I was told that getting implants would actually help me save the bone I do have. How is that true?
Great question. One of the biggest problems patients have is with bad fitting dentures. We hear them tell us all the time that they have had them since they were in their 20’s and now they just do not fit as well. I am not sure how long you have had your dentures but this explanation will most likely apply. We all know that things definitely change as we age and bone is no different. When all of your teeth are removed, the job of the bone is essentially finished. The main job of the bone is to hold the teeth in place. Assuming you do not ever develop periodontal disease and you do take good care of your teeth, as you age this bone hardens and becomes much more dense. If you do not have teeth the bone may still harden but it will reduce in size significantly. This is the body’s way of placing less importance on making sure the teeth are supported because they are no longer there. Now, if you have a dental implant placed, research shows that you actually get preservation of bone in that area because the brain tells the body that it has the new job of making sure the implant stays in place mush like when teeth were present. So not only do dental implants maintain bone where it is needed, but they also allow you to snap the denture in place and eat essentially anything you enjoy.
