Our office wishes to provide you with the following information to aid in your decision regarding your proposed implant treatment. Many patients are not aware of the consequences of losing their teeth or the effects which long term denture or partial denture wearing have on the jaws and bone. When teeth are lost the surrounding bone immediately begins to shrink and atrophy.

• You may not be aware that wearing dentures accelerates bone loss and those old dentures are loose because of bone loss. We wish to inform you of this rather than watching and waiting for bone to disappear to a point where treatment success of ANY kind is in doubt.
• At the end of five years, only 40% are still wearing the partial denture made for them. What, therefore, is its real value and utility? Those patients still wearing partial dentures are all losing bone.
• Of those patients who wear partials, 50% chew better without it.
• One study showed that after 8 years, 40% of the teeth which hook to the partial were lost through decay or fracture.
• Patients with natural teeth can bite with about 200 lbs. of force. Denture wearers can bite with only about 50 lbs. of force. Those wearing dentures for 15 years or more can only bite with about 6 lbs. of force and their diet and eating habits have had to be modified accordingly.
• The average lower denture shifts from side to side approximately ½ inch during chewing and is one of the problems which make getting used to it most difficult.
• Denture wearers have decreased nutritional intake, a ten year shorter life span and 30% can only eat soft foods.
• A single tooth implant success rate is above 98% and unlike a bridge; the teeth adjacent to the implant are no more at risk than if no teeth were missing.
• For the maintenance of bone, the health of adjacent teeth, the longevity of the treatment and comfort of the patient an implant(s) is the treatment of choice.

Even in suburban areas like Burke, Virginia and Northern Virginia there are many denture wearers who could benefit from dental implants. 30 million people in the U.S. have no teeth in one or both arches but are mostly unaware of what dentistry can do to improve their health. Implants can restore your chewing function to the equivalent of someone with natural teeth. If you have any further questions, please call our office to discuss them.

Source: Richard Erickson DDS; Dental Update Newsletter