While dentures are commonly used by individuals to help replace missing teeth, they may not be working out the way you would like them to. As dental technology has improved, dental implants have become a more and more common option for patients. As they are newer, you may have been questioning if they are worth getting overdentures. We’ll break down the information to help you decide if dental implants are right for your oral health situation.
What Can Go Wrong With Dentures?
While dentures are certainly appealing because they are the cheaper and easier option, they do have some downfalls that could ultimately lead you to want more. These include:
- Putting Them On And Off – Dentures can become annoying to take on and off. They can even hurt depending on the stickiness of the adhesive cream used to keep them in your mouth during the day.
- Extra Cleaning Measurements – While a dental implant only requires you keep up with a normal brushing routine, dentures require extra cleaning and anti contamination efforts that can become time-consuming and annoying.
- Not A Natural Look – Dentures tend to have a much less realistic look, especially compared to dental implants.
- Bite Issues – Along with looks, the functionality of your natural bite will change as well because of the sensitivity and low strength of dentures. Dentures can also tend to slip around in your mouth if the adhesive used is not strong enough or improperly placed.
- Jaw Realignment – Dentures can actually begin to realign the shape of your face because it is merely a temporary substitute to missing teeth rather than a full replacement.
- More Money Long Term – While dentures may be less expensive in the short term, if you plan on sticking around for a while, dental implants can ultimately be cheaper. This is because as mentioned earlier, dentures can actually
What Advantages Do Dental Implants Have?
Other than cost and ease of operation, dental implants have many advantages over classic dentures. Dental implants are almost guaranteed to give you and your smile a higher quality of life if you are able to go through with the procedure.
Some of the main characteristic advantages of dental implants are:
- Realistic Look & Function – Dental implants actually fuse with your gum and bones in your mouth. This creates a functioning tooth that is very much like the missing tooth it is replacing. Dental implants are also crafted with a stronger material, allowing you to chew on pretty much any type of food you would want to with your original teeth.
- Ease of Cleaning – After proper aftercare and restoration has occurred, taking care of an inserted implant is the same as brushing any of your other teeth.
How Do I Know If I Am Eligible For Dental Implants?
One of the bigger downsides of dental implants is that your mouth must be in a certain condition to be able to properly operate and insert the implants into your gums. To perform dental implant surgery, you may be required to undergo a bone grafting procedure. This operation adds bone in the area where the implant would be so that it will be able to properly support implants.
How Long Does The Dental Implant Process Take?
The process of getting quality dental implants can take longer just getting dentures would. There are many things that can affect this length of time including:
- The type of implant procedure being done
- If a bone graft is needed
- The amount of recovery needed
- The number of implants
- How your mouth reacts to the procedure
- Proper food during recovery
After a bone graft, it can typically take 4-6 months until the implant area can be ready to receive an implant. Then recovery after the dental implant procedure can vary depending but a good range to full recovery is around 3 to 6 months.
Are There Any Other Options?
Depending on your personal situation, a combination of both dentures and implants could possibly be the best scenario for you. The Dental Implant Center of PA also provides dental bridges and overdentures implants.
How Do I Know What Is The Right Choice For Me?
We always recommend consulting with a specialty doctor before deciding to undergo any major dental procedure. Your specialist will be able to assist you in finding an option that best fits your specific needs. Our state-of-the-art office is home to an expert team with years of experience and modern technology with a revolutionary outlook on dental implants. When you work with us you will receive high-end dental implants and patient care not like any other office in our region.