Implants or Dentures?

• Nov 13 2019

What are the advantages of having implants instead of dentures?

More and more people are choosing implants over dentures. Whether complete or partial, dentures are replacements for missing teeth that are not permanently attached to the individual’s bone or gums. Dentures are removable and typically taken out at night. Implants are not removable; they are attached, either to the jawbone or under the gum.

While dentures are a definite improvement over missing teeth and have become increasingly more natural-looking, there are certain disadvantages. Fitting can be an issue, especially because it takes months for the gums to shrink and realign following the tooth extraction. Sometimes there are problems with dentures slipping while eating or talking and, with partial dentures, the potential for infection or decay in nearby teeth can increase; as well as the loosening of the teeth that the partial denture clasps on.

The implants are made from titanium, which has a unique ability to fuse with the bone that it has been inserted into. This fusing of living tissue and artificial device is called osseointegration and has proven highly successful. The “implant” consists of multiple parts. The implant body, which is an “artificial root” that is permanently inserted into the jawbone painlessly. Then the restorative part, which is an abutment for which a crown, a bridge or a denture can connect to depending on the number of teeth missing and the number of implant bodies placed. 

Types of Implants

There are basically two types of dental implants. These are:

• Endosteal – these are the ones that most people think of when talking about implants. These implant types look like a small screw and they are painlessly inserted directly into the jawbone. These are typically used when there is adequate and healthy bone available.
• Subperiosteal – rarely in use, for those who do not have a strong foundation, perhaps due to disease or injury, the subperiosteal process inserts the implant under the gum, right on top of the bone. 

Dental implants enjoy increasing popularity for a variety of reasons. Besides being amazingly natural in appearance, with proper care, your implant may never need to be replaced, which a lot of people have realized goes a long way in balancing the initial cost difference between implants and more traditional crowns, bridges and dentures. New techniques and options have reduced the amount of time the implant procedure takes and have made the process far less painful than most people imagine, usually less than what is experienced during a basic tooth extraction.    

Are You a Good Candidate for Implants?

Dentures are less durable and come with issues such as restrictions on types of food you can safely eat without fear of embarrassment and they require more maintenance, as well as the need for periodic replacement. Changes in speech patterns and fear of slippage is also a common concern. 

Dentures and dental bridgework are initially less costly but tend to be more expensive in the long run. Dental implants, while more expensive initially, have many obvious advantages over dentures and bridgework. However, not everyone is a good candidate for implants. There is often the option of improving the underlying bone structure through bone augmentation. When there has been significant gum disease or bone loss, there may not be an adequate foundation for securing implants. If you have certain types of chronic conditions, such as leukemia or diabetes, or are a habitual user of tobacco products, then you may not be an ideal candidate for implants, consult your dentist.

If you are interested in implants or have questions about any of our services, whether dentistry or aesthetics, Forest Hills Dentistry is dedicated to delivering the highest quality services possible. We offer the latest and most current information and services to our patients with a new state-of-the-art facility in Forest Hills, Queens. Patient comfort, individualized care and complete satisfaction are our priority. 

For more information or to schedule an appointment, you are invited to use our online form by clicking here. 

Categories: Cosmetic Dentistry, Dentures, Implants