Dear Sir/Madam!
I would like to ask for your advice. In the upper jaw I had a bridge and porcelain crowns for 18 years. On the right side everything became so loose that on Monday my dentist extracted all of it; on the left he says it is already slightly mobile under strong pressure as well. He suggested extracting the left side too - I still have my central incisor, canine and second premolar - and making a complete denture. I cannot come to terms with this because I am afraid I will not be able to get used to it.
You suggested to another gentleman that the optimal solution for a complete denture is four implants + a denture without a palatal plate.
I would like to know whether it is possible to place two implants on the right side where there are no teeth and retain the denture on them, while leaving the left side as long as it lasts, because I do not feel anything moving and nothing hurts. When necessary, we would extract those teeth too, place two implants and make a new denture for the entire upper jaw.
I am also interested in a fixed circular construction that remains permanently in the mouth.
Thank you very much for your answer and kind regards.
Dentist Tomaž Rotar answers:
Dear Sir/Madam!
The solution you described is also possible, and we would suggest it as well if the left side is still relatively unremarkable on the X-ray.
A fixed construction is also an option that can be used immediately or gradually, in a similar way to what you planned for the complete denture. For this type of treatment we need a larger number of implants (six to eight), and in many cases an additional sinus-floor elevation procedure, because in the premolar and molar region the amount of remaining alveolar bone separating us from the paranasal sinus is usually insufficient for implant placement. Hygiene with a fixed construction is somewhat more demanding, but in a well-informed patient it is not problematic.
The decision between a removable and fixed construction is a matter of personal judgment, which is usually also influenced by the cost of the two procedures.
Have a nice day!