Brent Moffatt was dubbed “The Human Pincushion,” and won a place in the Guinness Book of World Records with his body piercings. But now he wants to receive at least one more set of piercings: a set of dental implants to make up for the fact that he can’t get dentures that stay properly fit in his mouth.

 

Fluctuating Weight and Ill-Fitting Dentures

Moffatt suffers from chronic kidney diseases and intestinal problems. As a result of the discomfort, he uses morphine daily, but the metabolic problems related to his condition often lead to hospitalization as well as causing his weight to change dramatically.

At 6 feet tall, his normal weight of 110 pounds is already small, and he can rapidly lose from 10 to 20 pounds when his health conditions flare up.

About six years ago, he developed a very bad infection in his teeth. All but six of his teeth were infected, and either needed root canals or extraction. Unable to afford the root canal therapy, he had his teeth extracted.

Bureaucratic Limits on Replacement Dentures

As we’ve talked about before, Canadian rules about replacing lost, damaged, or ill-fitting dentures are very strict. Someone is allowed to get a new set of dentures every five years. In between, there can be one readjustment every three years and two relinings a year to help dentures stay properly fitted.

But, Moffett says, that’s not enough for someone in his condition. With his weight fluctuations, his dentures can often become too loose or too tight, making them very uncomfortable and sometimes even nonfunctional. Although the province has offered to allow for more denture relines, Moffatt thinks implants are his best solutions, as these would allow an implant denture to be above the fluctuating tissue in his gums. He points out that, costwise, it might not be that much worse than adjusting his dentures six or seven times a year.

However, a restorative dentist explained that there are very strict rules for covering dental implants for people in the public health system. They are only covered in the event of cancer or a congenital deformity. The dental surgeon also noted that he didn’t think implants were medically necessary in this case.

Can’t Get Your Denture Fit Right?

Medically necessary or not, Moffatt is right that dental implants can help overcome poorly fitting dentures–and they’re not that expensive when you compare them to the cost of constantly relining and replacing dentures.

If you want to learn more about replacing your ill-fitting dentures, please contact a local Fountain of Youth Dentures Dentist today.