Dental Implants vs. Dentures

Dental implants and dentures are used when it comes to replacing tooth crowns and/or tooth roots that are damaged beyond repair. Millions of people lose teeth for various reasons and face the necessity of fixing the problem.

What is a dental implant?

Dental implants are metal elements that are surgically set into the jawbone to replace missing teeth and/or support implant-based dentures and bridges. Over time, an implant will fuse into the bone and will sit as firmly as a natural tooth.

Why are they so good?

With proper oral care, implants can last for lifetime. They will not move or shift when you eat or speak. Many people, who have an experience of dental implant surgery, confess that they often forget that they have man-made teeth. Literally, they sit as neatly and snugly and do not disturb adjacent tissues, so there is nothing to remind them that there are alien elements in their mouths.

If you have several missing or badly affected teeth, you may choose not to replace each one of them. For instance, if you have four teeth missing, you can choose to have two implants and have a bridge placed over them.

Once a tooth is pulled out, the portion of jawbone around it begins to deteriorate, because it loses its function. An implant will prevent that and keep the bone strong longer.

Disadvantages of dental implants

Implants have just one drawback – the price: they are more expensive than dentures. Besides, this kind of surgery requires a good deal of preparation and has contraindications.

What is a denture?

A denture is an artificial tooth or a group of teeth intended for replacement of missing ones. Dentures are crafted individually based on the number of missing teeth and a patient’s oral health. Unlike implants, dentures are set directly onto the surrounding soft or hard oral tissue. There are complete and partial dentures. The former are used when there are no teeth left. The latter are set when there are some natural teeth intact.

Dentures can be temporary (immediate) and permanent (conventional). Temporary dentures are placed right after tooth removal, so that the patient will not have to appear in public without teeth. They are placed for four to eight weeks, and they should be there until the tissues heal. After that, the dentist will place a permanent denture.

Good sides of dentures

First, dentures can pretty much preserve your good looks, as they disguise missing teeth very well. Well fitted dentures, if cared for properly, may last several years.

Second, dentures are an alternative for those for who implants are contraindicated. This refers to patients dealing with oral and gum diseases.

Third, dentures are much cheaper than implants and are generally affordable.

What’s bad about them?

As said above, dentures rest either on soft tissues of existing teeth or tooth roots. For this reason, they cannot give you a feeling of having natural teeth, and a sensation of having an alien body in the mouth will always be there.

They are not as long-lasting as implants and implant-based crowns/bridges, and usually require adjustment from time to time. This happens because gums and the jawbone tend to shrink.

Dentures may shift and slip when eating and speaking. This can be extremely embarrassing. Unstable dentures can affect your speech and even voice.

Some hard foods may have to be excluded from your diet.

From routine cleanings to major dental procedures, Alpha Dental Care has you and your family covered. We provide both dental implants (we use high-quality Straumann implants) and dentures, along with a full slate of professional and affordable dental services. Call us at 905-876-0200 to book an appointment for an initial consultation.