Dental implants or dentures: Know it all

Your teeth are as precious as any other organ in your body and they are very essential for your overall wellbeing. Missing teeth can make you conscious and embarrassed so much so that you hide your smile. Lost teeth lead to several problems like difficulty in chewing and inability to eat nutritious foods. It is at this moment that you need to choose wisely for your teeth, dental implants or dentures?

Wondering which is the better option? We are here to help you:

Dental implants:

What are implants? : A Dental implant is a titanium post that is inserted into a jawbone replicating the root of a natural tooth. The implant post integrates strongly with the jawbone, creating an anchor which is used to hold a replacement tooth. They can be used to replace single or multiple teeth, supporting crowns, bridges and also dentures.

Pros:

1. It offers stable fixed/removable replacement of missing teeth.
2. Dental implant supported teeth look and function just like natural teeth
3. Implants preserve bone.
4. Chewing efficiency with implant supported prostheses is better as compared to removable prostheses/dentures.
5. Implant supported prostheses prevent gum irritation and pain which is a common occurrence in patients using removable dentures.
6. It is a long lasting solution

Cons:

1. They are initially more costly than dentures or bridges.
2. Multiple steps are required.

Dentures:

What are Dentures?
Dentures are removable prostheses that replace missing teeth as well as some of the gum tissue. Complete or full dentures replace all the teeth in the upper or lower jaw, or in both jaws, while partial dentures are used to replace few missing teeth when some of the natural teeth still remain. Complete dentures rest directly on the gum, whereas partial dentures are supported by clasps around the existing teeth.

Pros:

1. Acceptable appearance of the replaced teeth as newer materials closely replicates natural oral tissues.
2. Economical option to replace multiple or all missing teeth.
3. Non-surgical treatment option to replace missing teeth.

Cons:

1. They don’t look as natural as implants since they display acrylic instead of actual gum tissue.
2. They need to be removed and cleaned regularly.
3. They must be left out overnight to allow the gums to recover.
4. With dentures, there are restrictions on the types of foods that can be eaten.
5. Dentures tend to trap food which can increase the risk of gum disease and decay of remaining teeth.

Dental implants are regarded as the best for replacing missing teeth due to the way they replicate natural tooth roots and preserve the jawbone and gums. Dentures may seem cheaper initially, but have a high maintenance cost and are not cost effective.

Now, you know it all about Dental implants and Dentures. Make the right choice, the best choice.

Have multiple missing teeth? And have made your choice to replace them, The Dental Spa is here for you!