I have dentures and hate them. They don’t fit well and I have trouble eating as a result. My dentist said I just need time to get used to them. It’s been three months and, if anything, it feels worse.  Dental implants are really expensive. I learned about them from a friend. My dentist does not even offer them, but I did check the cost with a few other dentists. Is there a chance I can get cheaper dental implants through a dental school?

Abby

Dear Abby,

I am glad you wrote.  I don’t think you are getting the best advice from your dentist. You are not likely to just get used to them. I don’t know what the fit of your dentures are like, but even the best fitting dentures will reduce your chewing capacity by 50%.

While all dental schools will teach how to place dentures, very few teach dental implants. Those are usually taught by post-doctoral institutions.

If you can find one of those institutions near you, then I would talk to them. Both dental schools and these post-doctoral institutions  need patients for their students. It is generally a little less expensive because your appointments will take longer.  The care level is high. The students are careful and they are supervised by high level instructors.

What you don’t want to do is find the cheapest dentist around to do your implants. This is an advanced procedure and the consequences of having it done wrong are serious.

I’m guessing because your dentist does not do dental implants that he didn’t warn you about the results of long-term wear of removable dentures. After about ten years or so, you’ll begin to see the effects of facial collapse, which is the shrinking of your jawbone. Eventually, you won’t have enough jaw bone left to even keep in your dentures in place.

Getting implant supported dentures prevents this problem.

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