The Mini Implant Center
Tooth Extractions
If you are planning on having your remaining teeth removed for dentures, then please read below and watch the video
I see it all the time...
Patients come to see me upset and angry.
Why?
Because they went to one of these denture mills or corporate dental chains, spent a lot of money, had all their teeth removed, got crappy dentures, went back for multiple adjustments and relines, and finally gave up.
Then they show up in my office a year or two later with dentures they can't wear telling me that...
- They can’t eat...
- They hate the way they look...
- The dentures gag them...
- They hate having their palate covered in plastic...
- Their jaw bones are shrinking away...
- They look 20 years older...
- They are embarrassed to be with their loved ones...
- They rarely even leave their house anymore...
Sometimes they tell me that their life has been RUINED because of dentures.
You don't want that to be you!
If you are going to have your remaining teeth removed, the process must be handled correctly so you don’t make a critical mistake that you can never recover from.
And that's why I created a video to help you make the correct decisions at this critical point in your life.
If you are going to have any teeth removed, and especially if you are thinking about having your remaining teeth removed for dentures, do yourself a favor and watch the video first.
The Five Tragic Mistakes People Make When Having Their Teeth Removed For Dentures
Here Are Some Things You Need To Know...
You are not going to be happy with dentures
Expecting a dentist to remove your teeth and replace them with a couple of pieces of plastic that float around in your mouth is just not realistic.
Sometimes the upper denture can be tolerable and function reasonably ok because it has the palate for support and suction. But more times than not it's not a great situation.
The lower denture will almost never work.
In fact, I won't even do dentures without implants, because in my mind it's not a good service to provide.
The only reason to get dentures is if it's the only option you have because of financial reasons.
Even then, it might seem that dentures are the cheaper option, but remember there is a high likelihood that if you go that route, you are either going to be paying for the implant options later... OR you are going to be suffering with those dentures.
So please give due consideration to doing it the better way the first time.
If you need your teeth removed, waiting longer is a bad idea
Look, nobody wants to have their teeth out, especially not all of them. I get that. So it's natural to procrastinate - especially since most of the time nothing hurts.
But stalling is a mistake, because the reason you need your teeth out is either ...
A) You have chronic decay problems that have pretty much destroyed your teeth,
OR
B) You have severe gum disease, which means that much of the bone around your teeth has already been destroyed.
If you have decay, it means you are likely to already have abscesses which are destroying the bones and which could flare up into a nasty infection at any time.
If you have gum disease and bone loss, the longer you wait, the less areas that are going to be able to hold implants, and the less chance you have of getting optimal results.
The question is... AT WHAT POINT ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE SO MUCH BONE LOSS THAT YOU CAN'T EVEN GET IMPLANTS ANYMORE?
Bone grafts are required when the teeth are removed
Most of the extraction cases I see were not handled correctly.
Here is what typically happens.
You go somewhere, the dentist takes out your teeth, puts a denture in that same day, and out the door you go.
What’s the problem?
Well the problem is that, by the time you get to the point where you are desperate enough to have all of your teeth removed, most likely you already had severe damage to your jaw bones.
And when you have teeth removed, the bone will further collapse and shrink during healing. Now on top of the bone damage you already had, you get more bone loss and more damage.
Bone grafting is required to minimize the bone shrinkage after the extractions, yet most of the time this is not done.
What are bone grafts and how do they work?
When the teeth are removed, all of the infected tissue and bone needs to be carefully removed from the socket, and then synthetic bone is placed into the socket.
The graft material serves as a scaffolding, and over time your own bone grows into and replaces the bone graft.
This simple step prevents the bone and gum tissue from collapsing into the site.
It promotes the growth of new, strong bone.
It creates bone that is more resistant to shrinking away over time.
It ensures that you have good solid bone remaining after healing so implants can be placed.
The bottom line is that bone grafting should be done when teeth are removed especially in any areas that will be receiving implants.
Have dental implants following extractions
Once your teeth are removed, there is nothing left to stimulate the jaw bones and so they will slowly and continuously dissolve away.
The good news is that implants act just like natural teeth in that they stop the jaw bones from dissolving away.
If you decide to get dentures without implants, I get that. It cuts the cost, it seems easier and quicker.
But I will tell you, most likely that is a decision you will live to regret - especially if you are younger, That's because when you hit your 60's or 70's you will have no jaw bone left, you will be unable to wear dentures, you can't eat, you can't socialize, and your life is basically ruined.
Get a second opinion
If you are thinking about having your teeth removed for dentures, it might be wise to get a second opinion.
This is important because I have seen patients who were told they needed all their teeth out for dentures... BUT it turns out they didn't. I will let you decide why they were told that.
All I am saying is that it's pretty simple to get a second opinion when the results could impact the rest of your life.
AND, if you find yourself sitting in the consult room in one of those big clinics with a sales person trying to get you to spend $40,000 - $50,000 or more to take out your upper teeth, and get an "ALL ON 4" as they call it (a bridge on 4 implants)...
You might want to make sure that is what you really need and want...
Because you can’t unring that bell.
(You can compare the "all on 4" to our procedure I call the "All on 10.")
What Future Would You Prefer?
Scenario 1
Do it the normal way where the teeth are extracted and immediate dentures are placed. Within a year up to 40% of the bone is gone and now you have dentures you hate, and maybe can't even wear.
I see patients all the time who made this choice, and they say things like this:
"If I would have known it would be like this, I never would have had my teeth removed"
"I thought I could get my teeth taken out and have dentures, and everything would be great”
“I wish someone had told me what would happen ahead of time"
"I can't even wear these dentures"
"My life is ruined, I won't even go out of the house because I'm too embarrassed to go out without teeth"
"I wanted to start dating, but how can I kiss someone with dentures moving in my mouth"
"I can’t wear these things"
"These dentures gag me"
"They wont stay in"
"I can’t stand having the roof of my mouth covered in plastic"
"It hurts every time I eat with them"
"I put in adhesive but it only lasts an hour"
"I'm embarrassed to go out of the house"
"I'm embarrassed to smile"
And the biggie...
"If I had known then what I know now, I never would have done this… because I was better off with the lousy teeth I had than I am with now"
OUCH!
Now you've got problems...
You have dentures you hate or can't wear
You jaw bones are dissolving away
Your face is collapsing making you look way older than you are.
You can't eat well.
You stop going out to dinner with friends.
Social embarrassment.
Painful eating.
Needing to use gooey adhesives
Scenario 2
Your treatment is pre-planned by the dentist as to what the final outcome will be, how many implants will be placed and where, and the type of appliance you want.
Then the teeth are extracted and bone grafts are placed to create a solid foundation for implants. After healing the new teeth are placed on the implants.
Now...
You have teeth that look good and feel good.
Your jaw bones are not dissolving and collapsing.
You eat whatever you want like corn on the cob or biting an apple.
You feel confident and happy.
You love to smile and laugh.
You feel like yourself again.
Look, losing all of your teeth is horrible. Nothing is ever as good as having your own teeth.
But, with the proper planning and proper treatment, you can end up with teeth that look good, feel good, and let you eat the foods you love.
Perhaps more importantly is you get that nice smile back, which makes you feel so much better about yourself, and also makes other people feel better about being with you when you can laugh, smile, and seem happy again.
We offer treatments that let you be you again.
And yes, it's still expensive. No matter how you slice it, implant dentistry comes with a cost. The equipment is very expensive, the labs are very expensive, the parts are expensive, and my time is expensive.
But what I have created at the Mini Implant Center, is a place where you don't have to spend $40,000 or $50,000 to get your life back to how it should be.
You're next step is to schedule a no charge consult to see what your best options are.
© 2024 Dr Michael Pierquet. all Rights Reserved
The Mini Implant Center Proudly provides mini implant and dental implant treatment in Green Bay, WI and surrounding areas including Crivitz, Abrams, Sobieski, Oconto, Oconto Falls, Lena, Coleman, Pound, Marinette, Wausaukee, Appleton, Bellevue, Ashwaubenon, Pembine, Iron Mountain, Menominee, Shawano, Pulaski, Peshtigo, Mountain, Cecil, Bonduel, Allouez, DePere, Hobart, Ashwaubenon, Appleton, and Northeast Wisconsin