What is the difference between dental implants and dentures?
Updated: Jul 29
Implants and dentures are two different ways to replace missing teeth. While both procedures can be successful, they each have their unique advantages and disadvantages. Implants are the most natural-looking tooth replacement option available today, with benefits like increased stability in chewing food and improved appearance of your smile. On the other hand, dentures rely on suction to stay in place, which may lead to sore spots around your mouth over time. This article outlines the difference between implants and dentures.
Difference between dental implants and dentures
1. Cost of Treatment
One of the most significant differences between implants and dentures is the cost. Implants are expensive and require multiple visits to complete, making them more costly than most other tooth replacement options, including dentures. Dentures are a cheaper option compared to dental implants Plano TX since they may require just one visit to have them fitted to your mouth. However, since dentures rely on suction to stay in place, they can also be a more expensive option for replacing missing teeth in the long term due to ongoing repair costs from sore spots and difficulty chewing food.
2. Recovery Time
Implants require more time to recover from surgery than most other tooth replacement options, including dentures. Implants are surgically placed into your jawbone, requiring anywhere from a week to several months of recovery time before you can have them permanently attached to your mouth. Dentures do not need to be placed in the bone and can go in immediately after the procedure. Dentures, however, may cause sore spots around your mouth due to their reliance on suction, which will last until you adjust to wearing them.
3. Effect on Chewing and Swallowing
Implants and dentures have very different effects on your ability to chew food. Implants are the only tooth replacement option that provides increased stability in chewing, while dentures rely on suction to stay in place, making them more likely to fall out when eating certain foods. Additionally, since implants go into the bone, they are more resistant to your bite than dentures which may cause increased pain in teeth that have been affected by gum disease or other dental conditions.
4. Appearance of Teeth
Both implants and dentures provide a way to replace missing teeth, making them both valuable options when it comes to improving the appearance of your smile. However, dentures are at a clear disadvantage compared to implants when it comes to improving the appearance of teeth. Implants are designed with an exact match for your natural tooth, ensuring that your replacement teeth will look completely natural. On the other hand, dentures are made of acrylic or metal, which can make them more noticeable in your mouth than dental implants.
5. Cleaning and Maintenance
Implants are the only tooth replacement option that does not require any special procedures for cleaning compared to dentures. Because implants are your natural teeth, they will provide you with the same positive oral health benefits as your other teeth, including being easily cleaned at home every day with good brushing and flossing habits. On the other hand, Dentures rely on suction to stay in place, which means that they may become difficult or even impossible to clean thoroughly at home. As a result, dentures will require special care to keep them free of oral health problems.
6. Effect on Face and Jaw
Implants and dentures both change the way your face and jaw look after missing teeth are replaced. Dental implants Plano TX provide a more natural-looking smile as they match your original teeth' size, shape, and shade. On the other hand, dentures can give you an older appearance as they rely on suction to stay in place, which can alter the way your face looks. Additionally, the bulk of dentures in your mouth may cause sagging facial muscles around your lips compared to dental implants, which are less noticeable due to their smaller size.
7. Bone Loss
Jung dental Implants are a more effective tooth replacement option when preventing the bone loss that can occur in your jaw with losing teeth compared to dentures. Dentures may cause pain and inflammation in the gums due to their reliance on suction which has been shown to lead to increased bone loss. Conversely, Jung dental Implants may cause less pain and inflammation in the gums due to their placement in the jaw, which has decreased the overall rate of bone loss compared to losing teeth without replacement options.
8. Risk of Infection
Your risk of developing an infection is very similar around the surgical sites where implants and dentures are placed. Neither option will pose a greater risk of developing a disease around the surgical site than the other. However, after you no longer need any tooth replacement, patients wearing dentures are at a higher risk of developing an oral infection than dental implant patients. This is mainly due to how dentures affect your mouth and cannot be entirely attributed to the type of tooth replacement option you choose.
9. Last duration
Implants are composed of an alloy (a mixture of metals) that is compatible with living tissue. The artificial root part of the implant will fuse to your jawbone, just as a tooth root would have, only better because it's permanent. Both implants and dentures can last for many years, even decades, depending on the quality of care you provide for them. The average set of Jung dental Implants lasts around 20 years, while dentures need to be replaced every 2-3 years. However, this is mainly dependent on how well you care for your teeth replacement option. Dental implant patients need to keep up with regular appointments so that the implants can be checked for signs of infection or other problems. On the other hand, Dentures require daily care, including keeping them clean and dry, which increases their lifespan.
10. Restoring Confidence
Implants and dentures can both restore your self-confidence when it comes to smiling, speaking, and even kissing after you have lost teeth. However, Jung dental Implants provide a more natural-looking smile, which can significantly boost your overall level of self-confidence compared to dentures. Additionally, the way implants are placed directly in the jaw and therefore do not rely on suction can provide you with a more confident appearance when speaking and kissing when compared to dentures.
11. Denture Care
Dentures require a lot of care to keep them clean and free from oral health issues. You must brush your dentures daily with an over-the-counter denture brush as well as a toothbrush for at least two minutes. In addition, you should use a solution such as Polident or Efferdent to clean your dentures every day. It would be best to soak your dentures at least once per week in a denture cleaning solution. Dentures are more challenging to care for compared to dental implants, which can be brushed with an over-the-counter toothbrush and flossed daily, along with being cleaned by eating and drinking throughout the day.
Conclusion
Jung dental Implants and dentures are both very effective tooth replacement options for patients who have lost teeth. Ultimately, deciding which option to choose is up to you unless you have a medical reason why one option would not be suitable for your needs. In some cases, an implant may not be ideal due to a patient's age or health conditions, while some patients may not afford the costs of implants. You should choose the best option for your health and budget after consulting with a qualified dentist.
Sources
1. Implants: Everything you need to know
https://www.forbes.com/health/body/dental-implants-guide/
2. Business Technology: Implants instead of dentures
3. Dentures Vs Implants: How to Choose
https://www.healthline.com/health/dentures-vs-implants
4. Denture Vs Implant: How to Choose the Best
https://www.dentaly.org/us/restorative-dentistry/dentures-vs-implants/