When you lose one or more teeth, you might struggle with completing your usual oral functions. And you might feel self-conscious about the way that your smile appears. You can work with your dentist to find an individualized restorative dental solution to replace your missing teeth and address these concerns.
Your dentist can offer a variety of treatments depending on your preferences, including removable dentures and dental implants. Both options can improve your oral function and smile aesthetics. But they can also differ significantly in some of their oral health benefits. Read on to discover more ways that dental implants and traditional dentures compare and contrast with one another.
Security Within the Mouth
Removable dentures feature either a full or partial set of prosthetic teeth attached to an acrylic base. In the case of partial dentures, the appliance relies on a metal framework that garners support from remaining teeth to stay in place in your smile. Full dentures use natural suction to the gums to stay firmly in the mouth.
You can use an adhesive paste to assist in keeping dentures in place, but there may be a chance that these traditional dentures can slip out of place at an inopportune moment. They can still allow you to restore a great deal of your oral functions though.
Dental implants, on the other hand, derive their foundation from surgically placed anchors in the jawbone. They fuse with the bone there for a secure, fixed fit. Then the dentist attaches prosthetic teeth via a connective abutment piece that offers further reliability in their fit in the mouth.
Only a dentist can remove the prosthetic teeth in implants after that point. So you can look forward to a durable fit from these devices that can last for twenty years or longer.
Prevention of Further Dental Problems
Many people appreciate that you can take removable dentures out of the mouth when not needed, such as during sleep. But this means that these dentures will only replace teeth above the gumline.
This level of dental restoration can reduce your risk of dental misalignment and some other oral health concerns. But it will not protect your jaw.
When you lose a tooth, your jawbone no longer receives stimulation from the tooth’s root that extends below the gums. Without its presence, the jawbone begins to deteriorate. Weakening in the jaw can lead to changes in your facial structure and your smile.
You cannot stop this issue without targeted treatment from your dentist. The anchor of a dental implant serves as a replacement for the missing tooth root. Then your jawbone can receive stimulation again, and you can avoid bone loss in the jaw.
Find Affordable Tooth Replacement
Both dentures and dental implants offer oral health advantages, but the procedures for each vary significantly. A dentist will build dentures based on impressions of your unique smile. They can last for five years before requiring replacement. And many patients appreciate this affordable way to restore their smiles after tooth loss.
Dental implants require three or more appointments at your dentist’s office over the course of several months. You can anticipate oral surgery as well as prosthetic teeth placement, which will be more expensive than dentures.
However, you can worry less about seeking replacement devices down the road. Learn more about which dental treatment will suit your specific oral health goals by calling your dentist today.