There are two basic options available for replacing missing teeth: dental implants and dentures. Both offer options for replacing all the teeth or just a few. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. If you are in need of tooth replacement but not sure which option you should choose, there are some factors you should consider to help you make your decision.
Since implants and dentures are intended to do the same thing, there are some superficial ways in which they are similar. For example, each involves artificial teeth to replace the ones that are missing.
Dentures are the tooth replacement option that has been around the longest. There are partial dentures that replace only a few teeth and full dentures that replace all of them. Dentures sit on top of the gums. Partial dentures use clips to attach to the surrounding teeth, while full dentures are held in place with suction and sometimes adhesive.
Dental implants are a more recent tooth replacement option, but they have become very popular in just a few decades. An implant consists of a metal rod that is inserted into the jawbone. Once the bone has fused with the implant, the latter functions the same as the roots of the tooth. Then, a prosthesis is attached to the implant. Not only does the prosthesis look like a real tooth, but it also feels like one and functions the same way.
Implants are a very popular option, but not everyone is a candidate for them. For those people, as well as for those that prefer another option, dentures are still available and always will be. It may be that one option is more appropriate for you than the other. The following are things you should take into consideration to help you make that determination.
Compared to dentures, implants are a more permanent solution. This makes them especially appealing for patients who are relatively young, e.g., patients in their 20s to their 60s, because they should last the rest of their lives without the need for further revision. You can still get dental implants if you are older than 60, and they should still last you the rest of your life. However, because the process is invasive and time-consuming, some older patients ultimately decide that they are more trouble than they are worth and opt for dentures instead.
Good oral hygiene is just as important for people with dentures or implants as it is for anyone else. However, caring for dentures and keeping them clean involves a lot more effort than caring for either implants or natural teeth. For example, you need to remove your dentures to brush them. You also should not wear your dentures while you sleep. You should not let them dry out, so you have to soak them in a special cleaning solution at night. Implants can be brushed and flossed like natural teeth.
When teeth are extracted, it leads to calcium resorption, which results in loss of bone in the jaw. Implants need adequate bone density to integrate into the jaw. If it has been a while since the loss of the teeth, the density may no longer be sufficient to support them.
It may be possible to perform a bone graft procedure to restore the density so that it is sufficient to support an implant. However, that adds to the overall length of the process and makes it more expensive.
Patients typically get used to dentures within a few days of receiving them. When this happens, the dentures begin to feel normal. While you may not think about them, they do not feel like natural teeth. Because of the way that dental implants are inserted into the bone, they feel like natural teeth.
Implants are comparable to natural teeth in the bite force they can provide. Dentures provide only a fraction of the bite force of natural teeth. As a result, you may have to modify your diet after you receive dentures in a way that you might not have to with implants. Dentures may also slip or fall out of your mouth, especially as your jawbone changes shape over time.
Dental implants are an option for replacing missing teeth that is popular with patients. Dentures are still available for patients who cannot have implants or who prefer not to go through an invasive procedure.
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