John Zuniga, D.M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
UT Southwestern Medical Center
6263 Harry Hines Blvd.
4th Floor, Suite 110
Dallas, TX 75390-9193
214-645-3999
Dr. Zuniga's page at UT Southwestern
Transcript: Dentures and Implants
For patients who are considering procedures within the scope of dentistry or dental specialists, there are some advantages and disadvantages that I may want to discuss.
The first is dentures. Can the patient with trigeminal neuralgia or trigeminal neuropathic pain tolerate dentures? Tissue born dentures are those appliances which are supported by the bone and overlying soft tissues or the gums. Therefore, the dentures are in fact seated on those structures and simple movement – chewing, eating, talking, etc. rely on that relationship. So if there is a neuralgia trigger or neuropathic pain zone within the bone or gum or soft tissue surrounding tissues in which the dentures are moving against, they will be intolerable.
It is maybe this patient population that they may consider dental implants. The potential advantage of dental implants is that the dentures or the prosthesis no longer becomes tissue bearing but they become implant bearing but there are different types of implants and denture implants.
So my recommendation is if you feel you are within the needs of or in need of this type of services, to seek an individual in the dental specialty who has an understanding of these disorders and their special needs. Most oral maxillofacial surgeons are aware of these conditions and they are also providers of implants.