Dental Implants vs. Dentures - Difference & Camparison
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Dental Implants vs. Dentures | Find the Best & Right One

Person deciding should i swap implants for dentures?

If you’re missing a tooth or teeth, it may be reassuring to know you have a lot of company. More than 36 million Americans have no teeth, and 120 million are missing at least one tooth. Dentures or the dental implants are two popular tooth replacement options for patients to replace their missing teeth, but they offer very different experiences.

When many people hear the word dentures, an image of false teeth sitting in a tall clear glass on grandma’s nightstand comes to mind. Another popular association is George Washington’s mythic wooden dentures.

Thank goodness huge advances have been made in tooth replacement options for people with missing teeth – most notably implants. Unlike the image of granny’s dentures sitting in a glass or Washington’s frowning face, dental implants conjure up images of glamorous smiling celebrities with beautiful pearly whites! Today, an increasing number of people are choosing teeth implants to restore their smiles.

What Are Dental Implants?

A dental implant is a device approved and regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that provides support for a single missing tooth, multiple missing teeth, or all the teeth in your mouth. Traditional dental implants require an outpatient procedure in which a small hole is drilled in your jawbone and a titanium screw is carefully placed into the bone.

The strong and durable titanium metal “fuses” with your jawbone in a process called osseointegration. The gum is placed over the implant so it can heal, which takes about 3 to 6 months. After sufficient healing, a second surgery is performed to fit the connector into the top of the implant. The natural-looking porcelain crown is then fixed to the connector.

All-On-4 dental implants are a highly effective solution for people in need of full upper and/or lower restorations, with a success rate of nearly 98%. Instead of using bone grafting and six to eight implants for each full arch of teeth, the All-On-four approach requires the placement of only four implants and rarely necessitates grafting. After the initial consultation and prosthodontic exam, you’ll receive a full-set of non-removable teeth in just one appointment.

What Are Dentures?

Dentures are replacements for missing teeth, available as complete dentures or removable partial dentures, as well as some hybrid varieties combining dentures with implants. Partial dentures can be taken out and placed back in your mouth. They are made of a metal framework with pink plastic to replace the gum tissue and plastic or resin denture teeth. The base of the upper denture covers the roof of your mouth, while the base of the lower denture is shaped like a horseshoe to accommodate your tongue.

Complete dentures, available in conventional or immediate options are made after your teeth have been extracted and your gum tissue has started to heal. Conventional dentures are ready for placement about 8-12 weeks after extraction. Immediate dentures are made before your teeth are extracted and you wear them immediately after removal. This can cause an issue because bones and gums shrink over time, especially when you’re healing. Immediate dentures should only be considered as a temporary solution until conventional dentures are made.

Comparison of Dental Implants vs. Dentures

DENTAL IMPLANTS

DENTURES

Jawbone Remaining jawbone enables you to maintain your facial structure. Bone loss over time can lead to a compromised facial structure.
Support Fixed to jawbone for a strong, stable, and secure fit. Prevents bone loss and teeth shifting, unlike dentures. Sit on your gums, therefore many issues can prevent good suction, especially on lowers (e.g. dry mouth and a poor lower ridge).
Durability With proper oral care and regular dentist visits, teeth implants can last 25 years or longer. High-quality dentures should last 5–8 years, but they are fragile and can break. Their lifespan is very short if you have health issues that cause early bone loss.
Comfort After a short period of adjustment, teeth implants feel and function like normal healthy teeth. Can feel bulky, frequently slip, move around, may cause discomfort, and oral sores if ill-fitting.
Appearance Look and feel like natural teeth, thereby helping to improve self-esteem and confidence. A 2018 patient survey found high satisfaction rates for appearance. A 2014 survey found 63% of respondents would pay more for dentures that looked like natural teeth, while 11% were unhappy with their poor, unnatural look.
Care You can brush dental implants like you would regular teeth. Of course, you need to follow good oral hygiene. Dentures need to be removed and gently cleaned daily. A soft-bristled brush and nonabrasive denture cleanser are used to remove food, plaque, and other deposits.
Speech You shouldn’t experience any issues with speech. It’s common for new denture wearers to slur words or have problems pronouncing them. Saying difficult words repeatedly is helpful for some people.
Eating Normal chewing is restored, as well as the ability to eat any foods you wish. A 2015 survey showed 54% of denture wearers avoided eating certain foods (e.g. corn on the cob, apples, nuts, and steak).
Surgery One or two surgeries are required and a recovery period in between. Extraction of remaining teeth may be necessary; no surgery needed for dentures.
Cost Higher upfront cost, but better long-term value, backed up by several studies. Less expensive, but often less effective.

For either option, it’s important to go to a high-rated treatment center with a proven track record. At EON Clinics, an expert team of oral surgeons and prosthodontists, in-house lab, and sophisticated technology, all located in a one-stop facility, ensure success rates that exceed national statistics. If you’re considering state-of-the-art dental implant vs. dentures, book online or call EON Clinics at 800-250-3500 for a free, no-obligation consultation.