Which Is the Right Choice for You – Dental Implants or Dentures?
Modern dentistry has made different tooth replacement options available for anyone who needs to replace a tooth, couple of teeth, or all of their teeth. The challenge you will face is picking the replacement that suits your needs.
What comes to mind when you think of replacing missing teeth? Most probably dentures because they have been used for a long time. However, our dentist in Smithfield has dental implants that are equally as good or even better than dentures.
To choose between dental implants in Smithfield and dentures, you might have to consider several factors such as preference, cost, the health of the remaining teeth, and jawbone.
Dentures and dental implants in Smithfield have pros and cons that need exploration. Therefore, you need to discuss them and their alternatives at length with our dentist in Smithfield.
What Do Dentures and Dental Implants Have In Common?
Dentures and implants may have their differences, but they mainly serve the following purposes:
- Improve speech
- Help restore chewing
- Improve self-esteem
- Improve dental aesthetics
- Support facial muscles
Now that we have explored their similarities, we can dive into what separates them.
Difference Between Dentures and Dental Implants
Procedure
Implants
As their name suggests, tooth implants are inserted or “implanted” into your jawbone. They are the same size as your tooth roots, making them root replacements. Tooth implants look like screw-like posts made from titanium.
Getting dental implants requires surgery since a hole has to be drilled into the jawbone to create space for the implant. The titanium post will be drilled into the jawbone. The implant is capped using a crown, dentures, or bridges. But, capping is done after the jawbone heals and has grown around the implant to secure it in place.
The tooth implant process usually takes three months or more because of the healing process. But when it’s complete, you will have a new and sturdy artificial tooth.
Dentures
Dentures are very common because they have been there for nearly a century. They are mostly removable and made of prosthetic teeth attached to artificial gums that you place on your gums.
Getting dentures is not as complex or lengthy as dental implants. Our dentist will take your lower and upper gum impressions to create dentures suited for your mouth. What’s more, our dentist will check out your bite to ensure that the dentures are made to perfection.
The data will be sent to the lab, and your dentures will be fabricated. You will come later for the fitting, and adjustments will be made if necessary.
The procedure may take a few weeks to two months before you get your new set of teeth.
Cost
As you might have suspected, getting tooth implants will be costlier than dentures and even other options such as dental bridges.
The price of getting tooth implants usually will differ based on the dental practice, location, and other factors. But you can expect to part with about $1,600 to $2,200 per tooth. Therefore, if you are going for full-mouth dental implants, you will part with much more.
On the other hand, a complete set of full dentures for the upper jaw will cost you at least $1,600. The cost for lower dentures is also in the same price bracket as the upper dentures.
Maintenance
Caring for your tooth implants is the same as for natural teeth. In other words, you need to brush your teeth no less than twice a day after meals, floss, and keep regular dental checkups.
But if you go for dentures, be prepared to give a bit more time caring for them. For instance, they need to be removed every day before sleep and soak the dentures in a cleaning solution. Plus, you will need to remove them after meals to clean them.
Complications
You cannot miss encountering scenarios where things don’t go as planned. So, in that case, dental implants come with complications in certain situations. In most cases, implants are effective. However, some patients experience mechanical problems and, at times, infections.
With dentures, patients might experience instability and ulcerations on the gums, which can be quite painful.
What’s the Verdict?
The best conclusion to this debate solely depends on you. You have to discuss with our dentist what works for you. But in general terms, dental implants usually take the day. If you need more assistance, contact us at Webber Dental, and we would be happy to help you.