Losing a tooth impacts almost everyone at some point of time in their life. When you lose a tooth, there are a host of problems that can come with it. This includes problems with chewing, loss of structure and impact on the teeth around. Various treatments are available when it comes to dealing with teeth loss. How do you know the difference between the different treatments? Take dentures vs implants, your dentist will give you the information and advice that will help you to make the best decision. We are here to help you understand these procedures better.

What are dental dentures?

Dental dentures are used for replacing one or more missing teeth. It is a removable appliance. These dentures work by taking support from the healthy teeth, underlying soft tissues and jaw bones. When a denture replaces one or multiple teeth, it is referred to as a partial denture. Dentures have a clasp, which is a metallic extension. It encircles the supporting teeth, which helps with retention. A complete denture is used when all the missing teeth need to be replaced. They rely on the presence of the underlying soft tissues and jawbone contour for support.

How do dental implants and dentures differ from each other?

A denture is a removable appliance which rests on the oral soft tissues and jawbone. It is used for tooth replacement as it gains support from the surrounding teeth. Whereas, an implant is fixed directly into the jawbone, like a natural tooth. As a replacement option, it replaces the tooth from the root. After the implant is fully anchored in the bone, it works as a prosthesis which has been attached.

Are Dentures a better option?

When it comes to replacing missing teeth, removable dentures are a cost-effective option. There are certain disadvantages associated with it as well. Removable dentures can’t completely restore chewing and speech efficiency, which the implant can do. Dentures have a limited lifespan as they can be easily broken. The material used for making dentures can cause allergies and other adverse reactions.

Is it possible to get implants after wearing dentures for years?

Yes, it is possible to get implants even after wearing dentures for years. There are conditions to it. As dentures have to be worn for a long time, they create pressure on the underlying jawbones and the oral tissues. This leads to bone resorption, which causes the bone to become brittle. As the bone is now brittle, there isn’t enough optimal bone which can provide support to the implant. Whether you can get an implant, is dependent on the bone structure that is remaining.

What is an implant-retained denture?

An implant-retained denture gets support from dental implants. Usually, the removable dentures are supported by the remaining adjacent teeth, underlying jawbones and tissues. When the teeth are missing, the denture is supported by one or more dental implants. The number of implants required is dependent on the number of missing teeth.