Are you unsure if you should get dentures or dental implants? Well, you’ve come to the right place. We understand that it can be difficult to smile, eat, and talk with confidence after tooth loss. Not to mention, missing teeth can affect your overall oral health.
This is why our dentists offer both dentures and dental implants. Continue reading to learn the pros and cons of both these tooth replacement options. We’ll also tell you if you’re a likely candidate for the dental implant procedure.
Dentures
Dentures are an oral appliance made to look and function like natural teeth. Depending on the extent of tooth loss, our dentists may recommend a full or partial denture. While a full denture replaces an entire arch of teeth, a partial denture only replaces a few teeth.
We can help you explore the different types of dentures available, including partial, complete, conventional, and immediate dentures.
Dentures sit on top of your gums and must be removed before you go to sleep so your gums have a chance to recover. When you’re not wearing your dentures, they’ll need to be submerged in a glass of water or denture cleanser so they don’t dry out, crack, and warp.
Dental Implants
A dental implant is a prosthetic tooth root (typically made of titanium) that’s placed in your jaw to later support a crown. Many patients appreciate that dental implants look and function like natural teeth.
This means that you’ll be able to continue eating your favorite foods without worrying about slipping dentures. It’s important to take care of your dental implants like you would natural teeth by brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing once daily.
Are Dental Implants Better Than Dentures?
While dentures are more affordable than dental implants, they don’t solve the problem of jawbone deterioration. As soon as your body detects a missing tooth, it’ll start to absorb the minerals in your jaw to use elsewhere. Once this happens, the area of the jaw where the tooth root used to be weakens and deteriorates.
Teeth adjacent to the gap will also start to tilt toward the open space. Eventually, the patient may experience facial collapse, which alters the shape of the face and makes it difficult to wear dentures.
The best way to prevent further tooth loss and jawbone deterioration is to ask our dentists if you’re a candidate for the dental implant procedure. In general, we recommend them whenever possible so patients can avoid long-term health issues caused by missing teeth.
Can I Get Dental Implants?
You’re a candidate for the dental implant procedure if you have healthy gum tissue and sufficient bone density in your jaw to place the implant. For successful osseointegration, there has to be enough jawbone tissue to support the titanium dental implant that’s placed in your jawbone.
Our dentists will be able to determine if you’re a likely candidate for the dental implant procedure. Even if you’re not a candidate, we can help you explore your other tooth replacement options.
To recap, here’s the pros and cons of dentures vs dental implants. We’ll start with dentures:
Pros
More affordable
Able to replace an entire arch of teeth
Looks & function like natural teeth
Cons
More maintenance
They may slip and need to be repositioned
Doesn’t solve jawbone deterioration
Now onto dental implants
Pros
Maintain just like natural teeth
No chance of slipping
Prevents jawbone deterioration
Looks and functions like natural teeth
Cons
More expensive