Dental implants are a great treatment for people who have lost their teeth. They are so much like your natural teeth that many people are marketing them as if they were your third set of teeth. But if you can’t get dental implants, you can still have an attractive, functional smile.
FOY® Dentures are an innovative denture that gives you many of the benefits of dental implants. FOY® Dentures are available in an implant-supported denture version for people who are good candidates for implants and want the additional security they provide. However, they are also an alternative to dental implants. People who can’t get dental implants can still get many of the benefits they offer over traditional dentures.
Who Is Not a Candidate for Dental Implants
One of the benefits of dental implants is that most people can get them. There are really only three more-or-less absolute qualifications for dental implants:
- Have missing teeth or be facing the loss of teeth
- Have completed jaw growth
- Be healthy enough for surgery
Dental implants are tooth replacements, so if you don’t have missing teeth or teeth you should remove, you’re not a candidate for them.
Dental implants respond unpredictably to jaw growth, so most dentists recommend waiting until your jaw has finished growing before getting dental implants.
Although dental implant surgery is minor, it’s still surgery. It’s important to assess your health before planning the procedure. Your implant dentist might want to see your medical records or have your doctor sign off on the procedure first.
That’s the only three reasons you might not be a candidate for dental implants. However, there are other reasons why you might not be a good candidate for dental implants.
Why Dental Implants Aren’t Best for Some People
Dental implants work well for many people who are appropriate candidates. For many candidates, the success rate approaches 98%, but for other people, the success rate may be much lower, perhaps 70% or less. Some of the risk factors that may make dental implants a poor choice for you include:
- Chronic periodontal disease
- Diabetes and other health conditions that increase periodontal risk
- Smoking
- Metal allergies
- Lack of good bone material, poor bone density, or poor bone healing
- Diseases or conditions that increase the risk of anesthesia complications
- Prior radiation therapy
- Medications that may interfere with bone healing or increase risks
In some cases, you might be able to work around these limitations. In addition to getting gum disease treatment, you might change your diet and oral hygiene habits to get the periodontal disease under control. You might quit smoking. You can consider non-metal dental implants. Often, you can get a bone graft. You might stop taking certain medications–after talking to your doctor.
Other times, these aren’t easy to deal with. Periodontal disease has a significant genetic component, and you might be unable to control it well enough to protect your implants. The effects of smoking on dental implants can take decades to normalize after you quit. Some medications that put your dental implants at risk might be too vital for your health to stop taking them.
Maybe You’d Rather Not Have Dental Implants
Some people decide against dental implants. Some risk factors are choices that you make. At the time when people are looking at dental implants, they may not want to give up smoking, for example. Dental implants can be expensive, but they can be a good investment if your odds of success are 98%, and your dental implants might last for life. They are a less good investment if your success rate is only 70%, and implants are unlikely to last even a decade. Then you might decide you don’t want dental implants.
Or maybe you don’t like the thought of dental implant surgery, the cost of dental implants, or the time involved. You’d rather have another way to get attractive and functional replacement teeth without dental implants.
FOY® Dentures Are Unlike Traditional Dentures
Dental implants have been promoted by comparing them to traditional dentures, but this is like comparing a Model T to a modern Chevy. Just as technology has advanced for dental implants, it has also advanced for dentures.
FOY® Dentures represent a modern evolution of dentures, and compared to traditional dentures, they offer:
- Better fit–they won’t slip out in social situations
- Greater comfort–less risk of denture pain
- Better function–eat more foods with confidence
- More support for the face leading to a younger appearance
With these benefits, you’ll be so satisfied with FOY® Dentures you won’t ever think to regret that you couldn’t get dental implants.
A Quality Alternative to Dental Implants
If you are not a good candidate for dental implants but still want to enjoy similar benefits, FOY® Dentures might be right for you. There are many local FOY® Denture dentists who can help you understand this advanced alternative treatment.
To learn more about the benefits of FOY® Dentures, please talk to a local dentist and find out if they’re right for you.
