If you’re missing teeth in your mouth, you have a couple of options. Generally, if someone is looking to visit an experienced dental surgeon to replace their missing teeth, they’ll likely end up choosing between some solid titanium dental implants, or they might opt for dentures. Both of these are good options for patients with missing teeth, but which one is best?
Ultimately, it depends. Both satisfy the same issue, but they have different features that will likely make one over the other the better choice.
What are Dental Implants and Dentures?
Dental implants are surgically inserted posts that take the place of the natural tooth root that is no longer there. The posts are affixed to a ceramic piece—such as a crown or bridge—that looks just like a real tooth. These fake teeth are custom-fitted to your mouth by an oral healthcare provider, and they are tailored to match perfectly with the rest of your teeth. Once a ceramic dental implant is set in your mouth, it can’t be removed or knocked loose by ordinary means.
Dentures, on the other hand, are removable appliances which are meant to replace either all or some of your missing teeth. They’re secured with a special type of adhesive which means them tough—but still possible—to remove. Because of this, you might end up with dentures that have a loose fit, but a quick visit to a dental surgeon specializing in implants and dentures can fix it up in no time.
Factors to Consider When Choosing
Consider your general oral health when choosing between implants and dentures. If you have good oral health you might have more options. Those who are experiencing jaw bone loss or other oral health issues might want to stick with dental implants. Because the implant posts mimic your tooth roots, they help prevent further bone loss in the jaw. Conversely, dentures can contribute to bone loss over time because they don’t stimulate the jawbone like implants or teeth do.
Patients will also want to take a look at the cost associated with both options. While there are certainly affordable dental implant options, implants are generally more expensive that a pair of dentures. While it seems cut and dry, it’s a bit more nuanced than that. An experienced oral surgeon who specializes in dental implants can have you walking out of the office with some new chompers that could potentially last a lifetime with proper care and upkeep. Dentures, however, are not as firmly secured in the mouth and can come loose, necessitating visits to your local oral doctor to make adjustments. These visits to readjust poorly-fitting dentures can add up over time, whereas you’re more or less set with a well-fitting dental implant.
When it comes to cleaning and general upkeep, both are relatively easy to take care of. Dental implants don’t need any kind of specialized care beyond the usual brushing and flossing twice a day that’s recommended for regular teeth. You’ll want to pay close attention while flossing to make sure that you’re really getting up around your implant in an effort to remove any plaque buildup. Dentures are mostly the same, however, you’ll want to remove and soak your dentures overnight in a special cleaning solution—this removes bacteria buildup on the dentures, and it also helps fight stains, keeping your dentures shining and pearly white.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Both Options
Top-notch dental implants installed by a dental professional are great for oral health—they help prevent bone loss around the jaw as they take the place of the roots of missing teeth. They have a natural feel to them, and they couldn’t look better aesthetically. With a quality implant, you likely wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between that and the rest of your teeth. The main drawbacks impacting implants are their cost, the surgery, and the healing time post-surgery.
While a dental implant surgeon might be able to offer you dental implants on the same day (depending on if you meet certain criteria), the implant site itself won’t heal for about two weeks following the surgery. However, there’s a separate bonding process that occurs between the implant and the jaw bone—this process takes as long as anywhere between 3-6 months to fully fuse with the jawbone.
Dentures are a great option for a lot of folks—they’re easy to use and relatively affordable when compared to implants. However, that’s by no means saying they come without any limitations. Dentures can sometimes have slippage due to an improper fit. Changes to your jawbone that occurs following missing teeth can cause dentures to fit a little loose. A visit to your local oral surgeon’s office can correct this in a jiffy.
The other thing to keep in mind is that dentures restrict your diet slightly—nothing major, but you’ll want to be particularly cautious around hard or sticky foods. In general, these types of foods are a bit trickier to eat with dentures, but they’re not severely limiting by any means.
While those are the main differences between dentures and dental implants, it’s always best to set up a visit with a dentist or an oral surgeon who replaces missing teeth to find out what’s the best option for you. If you’re thinking about holistic tooth replacement options, contact us today to set up a consultation appointment.
