Thelma-Louise

I wouldn't be so sure of this being your only choice so you should probably get other opinions. While implants with dentures do make them more secure they can be pricey so finances may have something to do with your decision. I have known some people that started out with regular dentures and then a few years later opted to do the implants just on the bottom - since the lowers tend to cause the most problems. A really good denturist or prosthodontist can usually fit most people properly with regular custom made dentures and even they tend to be pricey w/o implants. Did he mention if you would need bone grafting as well - generally when one loses teeth due to aging or other factors it is due to bone loss (in your case gum disease) as well and implants require sufficient bone to integrate with just like natural teeth. I would ask your dentist what will prevent your gum disease from progressing in the future which might jeopardize the life of the implants down the road - could you be spending a lot of money now only to have the implants fail later on due to the same problem? I would look into it it more and get the real facts (whats involved, how long it will take, the amt it will cost, etc) before you decide anything.

Dental costs seem to vary based on locale but in NY it would probably be between $20-$40K if not more - the reason for the broad range is that some drs in private practice can charge what the market will bear - if they are really good - and others will price their services based on the quantity not quality - so they just push as many people through as they can which allows them to charge less. If you do decide to do it, many dentist offer financing or pay as you go plans so you can spread the cost over the time it takes to complete the work, or you could look into a health care credit card that offers 0% financing for 12 months, or other financing options (home equity loans, other credit cards, etc).

I don't mean to dissuade you in any way - I have seen many posts from people that are quite pleased they did the implants with their dentures - but they are not for everyone (like those with gum disease) so the best thing you could do is consult with the prosthodontist and see what he has to say and then get other opinions as well.