If you are researching options to replace an arch of teeth, dental implants and dentures are your two basic options. Although Morristown Cosmetic Dentistry offers both options, Dr. Victor Gittleman recommends dental implants because of their superior aesthetics, dental health benefits, and economical smile makeover.
Dr. Gittleman offers full-service dental implants at his Morristown, NJ, dentist office. He is a Fellow of the International College of Oral Implantologists and a talented implant dentist who has devoted many hours to training and studying implant dentistry.
Dental Implants vs Dentures
Dental Implants
These restorations are metal rods a dentists implants into the jawbone to anchor a denture. The rods are made of titanium, a metal well accepted by the human body. The titanium implants fuse with the surrounding bone, creating a fixed, permanent base that makes the restoration more durable than a traditional removable denture.
This offers many advantages over removable dentures. Since the implants are very durable, there are few to no eating restrictions that you must adhere to. You will also not have to stress about your dentures moving around in your mouth, causing slurred speech, or falling out.
Not only do implants support the denture, but they also act as a replacement tooth root. This stimulates the jawbone, preventing bone loss. Dental implants are the only restoration that can mimic natural teeth. They act, look, and feel just like them, offering a better quality of life. If you care for your retained dentures, they can last forever.
There are a few disadvantages to choosing dental implants. Not everyone will qualify for them. You must have healthy gums and enough bone to support the implant rods. You also need to be healthy enough to undergo surgery.
In addition, tooth implants cost significantly more, and the process takes much longer. An estimated cost can be determined after an examination, and whether you need one or both arches of teeth replaced. The process will also take longer, around three to six months, and sometimes longer.
Dentures
A denture is a removable fixture that replaces an entire arch of missing teeth. It costs significantly less to fabricate and place than dental implants. Dentures also require a minimum of four visits, and you complete the process in only three to six weeks, much faster than implant-supported dentures.
On the other hand, traditional removable dentures come with many disadvantages compared to dental implants. They are not as stable and move around in the mouth, sometimes even falling out. Because of this instability, dentures offer little chewing force, so you cannot chew certain foods. To stabilize the dentures, many people need an adhesive that is gooey and inconvenient.
Many people find dentures very hard to adjust to because they feel bulky inside the mouth. The material they are made of can also be uncomfortable and cause irritation to the gums. It can take months for some patients to adjust to wearing them.
The worst disadvantage is that the jawbone will slowly deteriorate over time while wearing dentures. Unlike dental implants, they rest on top of the gums and do not provide much stimulation to the jawbone. In time, your gums and jaw structure will change, and your dentures must be re-aligned, rebased, and eventually replaced.