My mom has been without the majority of her teeth for approximately 6-7 years. Is she a candidate for implants?

I'm sorry to hear about your mom's dental condition, but I would strongly recommend that you take her to a cosmetic dentist to have her evaluated.  The fact that she hated her previous dentures could be due to the fact that they were not done properly.  Many times, patients go to any old place to have their dentures done; they pay discount prices and get very cheap looking dentures that don't fit properly and don't stay in very well.  Whether my patients want porcelain veneers or full upper and lower dentures, I always provide my patients with very, very cosmetically pleasing results.  I only provide premium dentures that look as natural as real teeth.  Also, I go through great measures to make sure that dentures that I place fit properly and snugly.  If you go the go the cosmetic denture route, you can expect to pay about $5,000.  If you decide to go the dental implants route, you can expect to pay about 8 to 9 times that amount.  Good luck and I hope this helps. Follow me if you have more questions.Sarah Thompson, DMD

I would say that the odds are that your mother can have dental implants.  The question is what will be involved to make it happen.  If she has been missing teeth for that long she will likely need a surgery called a sinus lift and considerable bone grafting.  After the initial surgery has healed for approximately six months she will be ready for the implants.  A second surgery will occur to place the implants, then another six month waiting period will take place.  Once the implants are fully integrated they can be restored with a denture or crowns.  The only way to know the extent of the treatment plan is to have a consultation with a surgeon and a 3d CT scan.  Good luck.  

Here are some of the factors that you
need to consider when you want to decide if dental implants are good option to
replace missing teeth:
-are the roots of the adjacent teeth far
enough apart to have room to place an implant-is the width of the bone thick enough as you go
from your lip to your pallet-do the adjacent
teeth have any gum disease or bone loss
If other factors are good but there is
not enough bone then a bone graft may be required.
If you are cavity prone, dental implants
may be a wonderful option, because a metal implant will never get a
cavity.
Hope you find this information
helpful.
Dr Champagne

There is absolutely hope for your Mom.  The final determination will be made with a CT Scan and full mouth X-rays to look at the quality and the amount of bone available for implants.  In my office I have treated patients 15 years after extractions with implants.However, as years go bye the bone loss will accumulate and the chance of implants decreases.hope this helps,Dr. Maddahi

There are wide narrow and mini implants , intended for different sizes and width of bone. This could be the only difference on type of implants , but 95% of the cases there is always a chance of setting them. They can be reahbilitated with a fixed bridge, screwed or Snap On. but your mom will have her smile back again. Hope this helps. 

Welcome to dental implants.  You are accustomed to hearing dentists talk about only teeth, but implants have changed all that.  Now you will hear dentists talking mainly about BONE.  If there is plenty of bone in all the right places, it can be fairly simple.  If not, it can be fairly complex....but still not impossible.  Some implants look nothing at all like screws.Even the ones that do look like screws are not held in by screw action.  The are held in by osseo-integration.  (look that one up!)  The threads on the implant merely aid in insertion and increase surface area for the titanium to fuse to the bone at a microscopic level.  IT IS ALL ABOUT THE BONE.  Here is another thing you don't usually hear from dentists: "You are going to need a CT scan".   Why?  So that we know EXACTLY where the bone, the sinus,and the nerves are.  I personally would never allow an implant to be placed in my upper jaw unless the dentist had first spent some time looking at my CT scan.  CT scan....it's not a way of building a fee.  It is a way of delivering great results!

It is very likely that she can have implants but this question can only be answered with a proper evaluation by a trained dental surgeon.  The main question is whether or not the bone is adequate to support the implants.  I suspect she will be much happier with her teeth when they are supported by implants.  Good luck!