Pros and Cons of Dentures vs. Dental Implants
For many patients, the process of deciding to go with removable dentures or dental implants can be tough. Smiling, eating, and talking with confidence after tooth loss is not easy and missing teeth can affect your overall oral health. At the end of the day, you just want something that will improve your quality of life. This is why our Hilliard, OH, dentist offers both dentures and tooth implants.
Here are the pros and cons of both of these as well as your candidacy for the dental implant procedure.
Lifestyle Considerations
When choosing between these options, consider how each will fit into your daily life. Think about your diet, social activities, maintenance commitment, and how you want your teeth to look and feel. Single-tooth implants might offer the most natural experience, but the initial cost and associated oral surgery are significant factors.
Traditional dentures provide a quick and cost-effective solution but might not meet the needs of an active lifestyle. Implant-supported dentures strike a balance between the two, offering improved stability without the full commitment of many individual implants.
Factors that can ultimately influence what you choose include:
- Jawbone density (whether dental bone grafting is needed)
- Commitment to oral hygiene
- Medical conditions that may interfere with proper healing
- Number of teeth missing
- Habits like smoking or use of other tobacco products
Dentures
Dentures are an oral appliance made to look and function like natural teeth. Depending on the extent of tooth loss, our local family dentist may recommend partial or full dentures. While complete dentures replace an entire arch of teeth, a only replaces a few teeth. We can help you explore the different types of dentures available and help you pick what will work best given your unique dental needs.
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 by our dental implant dentist to later support a porcelain 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 or shifting dentures. You shouldn’t skimp on oral hygiene, however. Take care of your single-tooth dental implants like you would natural teeth by brushing your teeth at least twice a day and flossing once daily.
Are Dental Implants Better Than Dentures?
So, which one is superior? 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 dentist if you’re a candidate for dental implant surgery. In general, we recommend dental implants 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 process 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 dentist will be able to determine if you’re a likely candidate for the dental implant procedure through an oral examination and possible X-rays. Even if you’re not a candidate for dental implants, we can help you explore your other tooth replacement options.
Schedule an Appointment Today
Dr. Adam Gibson is a restorative dentist in Hilliard, OH. He offers a range of tooth replacement options, including dentures and dental implants. To request an appointment with our dentist, call Gibson Dental at (614) 878-9562.
This blog post has been updated.