False Teeth - Making the Right Choices

Tips For Deciding Between Dentures And Dental Implants

Have you lost some or all of your teeth? Are you trying to decide whether getting dentures or dental implants will work better for you? Here are some of the advantages of each choice:

Cost: With dentures, it's simply a matter of your dentist making a mold of your gums and then creating dentures that will fit that mold. On the other hand, dental implants do require surgery. Because of the cost of anesthesia, the surgery itself, and various other associated fees, the cost to have dental implants added can be higher than your first set of dentures would be.

Does it require surgery?: If you still have most, or even some of your teeth, having dental implants may not be the best option. Your natural teeth may be in the way of the best anchoring points. Instead of having your teeth pulled or settling for sub-optimal anchoring of any dental implants, it may be better to have partial dentures instead. Partial dentures use your own teeth to help hold them in place, making them a good choice if you still have many of your original teeth. 

Staying Power: The average set of dentures lasts only five to ten years. However, they will also need to be refitted every few years so that they are still comfortable and don't slide around in your mouth. Relining your dentures will help to extend their useful life. But if you skip this step, your dentures could become painful and start to cause sores or blisters in your mouth. The question of how long dental implants will last will vary from person to person, depending on things like oral hygiene. But well-placed and well-cared for implants should be able to last a lifetime. The first patient to receive dental implants, Gösta Larsson, had his implants last for over 40 years.

Comfort: When you have dental implants added, your dentist will insert anchor points into the bones underneath your jaw. These anchor points will function in much the same way as the roots of your original teeth. This will not only help to make the implants extremely secure in your mouth, the implants can also help to keep your gums from receding due to bone loss caused by a lack of teeth. In addition, because your implants will stay in your mouth all the time, they can feel almost exactly like normal teeth. Dentures are removable and need to be cleaned carefully to prevent odor and to protect your gums. 


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