Dentures vs Dental Implants

Do you know the difference between dental implants and dentures? These procedures are both an excellent choice but both have their own attributes.

If you are missing teeth or are having issues, you might have already conducted research about these procedures. You may have heard or discovered that dentures are the most common way for people to replace missing teeth, especially if they are entirely edentulous (missing all of their teeth). If the idea of dentures is not appealing to you, you might want to consider dental implants.

Before you make a final decision, it’s a good idea to speak with your dentist about dental implants versus dentures, to find out which might be best for you.

Stability

There is no question that dental implants offer more stability than dentures. Because dentures are a removable device that rests over your existing teeth and must be removed for cleaning and eating, movement can be possible. The permanence of dental implants are a big plus as they integrate with your jawbone, so they do not move.

Comfort

Dental implants require little to no downtime for patients to become accustomed to eating and speaking with them. There may be a learning curve with dentures in the first few months, and eating and speaking for some patients can be somewhat tricky.

Dental implants do not need to be adjusted as dentures do, because the jawbone stays the same because it continues to be stimulated by the implants because they fuse directly to the jawbone. Also because dental implants are a custom tooth that is created to match your other teeth there is no need for adjustments. Over time, without the stimulation of a tooth root or dental implant, as with a denture, the jawbone will begin to shrink. This means dentures will need to be adjusted periodically over time.

Function

With dental implants, there are no food restrictions. You can eat all of your favorite foods, including juicy steaks and crunchy vegetables. You can laugh and speak normally without worrying about the implants shifting.

With dentures, you may find it difficult to eat some foods. Some patients also complain of their dentures moving or making a clicking sound when they speak.

Care

Caring for your dental implants is easy. You can brush and floss as you normally would. Dentures will need to be removed on a regular basis for cleaning.

Cost

Although your initial investment may be higher with dental implants, they can last a lifetime with proper care, and they need no periodic adjustments. With dentures, your gums will change over the years, so you will need to pay for adjustments regularly.

Dental implants are considered to be the gold standard for tooth replacement.

Find out more about dental implants from Oasis Family Dental. Give us a call today!