David Taler, DDS, FAGD, DABOI/ID

 I would recommend that you get a second opinion with a CBCT. This 3-D imaging will help identify if the implant has invaded the adjacent tooth.

 Having a complete denture especially on the lower can be incredibly difficult. They are loose uncomfortable and  eventually contribute to bone loss.  

 Dental implants can help stabilize your denture. They will  help lock your denture into place so that you can eat more comfortably. They will also help stimulate the bone so that it does not atrophy.

I would recommend going to see an implant dentist to have them take a 3-D image to evaluate you for dental implants.

The temporary phase can be very difficult but the final bridge (or denture for that matter) might be exactly what you are looking for. 

 While the temporary allows you to have teeth placed the same day it can also be used as a diagnostic tool to determine the things that you like and don't like in your permanent prosthetic. There is a lot of guess work in the temporary and it is rarely ever perfect from the start.

 You may have to switch over to locators or other removable type attachments (bar overdentue, hader clips or conus abutments etc) in order to get a denture. However, the same implants and sometimes multi-unit abutments (connectors) can be used as the foundation. 

For my patients, the costs would be the same. While I have increased fees for parts to switch over to removeable, I also won't be paying for the parts to make it a bridge. Thus I consider it a wash and patient satisfaction if far more valuable than anything else. 

Talk to your doctor and voice your concerns and I bet he will be able to get you what your are looking for whether it be fixed or removeable.

A lower denture without any implant  support can be very problematic. There are many solutions to help maintain the bone as well as give your denture a more stable and teeth like feel.

While mini implants are an option, they typically have a higher failure rate and are often used as temporary implants and not a permanent long-term solution. 

 Two implants with a bar is a far more stable option. The implants are osseointegrated (locked) into the bone and connected to a metal bar that sticks out over your gums. Within the denture there is a clip that helps hold the denture in place. However like a seesaw, if there are only two implants and one connecting bar there can be a significant amount of rocking back-and-forth. 

Better options would include adding a third implant/bar thus triangulating the rocking (more like a barstool) or possibly placing four implants with no bar and using locators Instead.  Locators are snaps or buttons that work in a very similar fashion to a bar/clip but are far less expense.  While you can do two implants with locators, I prefer four for stability and wear. 

 The truth is the longer that you wait to have implants placed the more bone will be lost. This bone remodeling process continues until the implants are placed as they help stabilize and stimulate your bone cells.

Grafting can be done later but is far less predictable and even grafting requires some existing bone in order for it to be successful. My suggestion is that if you are thinking about dental implants you have them done sooner rather than later.