Implants Vs Dentures
When your patients come to your office with minor or major tooth loss, you have several options to consider. Chief among them are dental implants and dentures. Deciding between the two can be tricky, so follow this guide to help settle the debate of dental implants versus dentures.
What Are The Major Differences?
Dentures of some kind have been around for hundreds of years although evidence suggests that ancient Egyptians probably used simple forms of dentures made out of real human teeth! They are, essentially, false teeth that can replace your upper or lower plates or both. Implants are individually installed false teeth that are installed directly into the jaw.
Who Benefits From Dentures?
Dentures are most appropriate for people who
have lost large amounts of teeth because they help replace them in one go, rather than individually. How can you know when your patient has lost enough teeth for dentures? A good guide is if they have three or more missing teeth in a row in a single plate. That kind of teeth loss is generally severe and is likely to lead to major tooth loss.
There are problems with dentures, however. They need to be carefully maintained or else they can decay in less than 10 years. As a result, if your patient is really negligent with their general tooth care (or if you think they'll be bad at applying dentures adhesive and rinsing them at night, implants may be a better option.
Who Benefits From Implants?
Patients who have only a handful of missing teeth usually benefit more from dental implants than they do from dentures. In fact, in these cases, they are probably the only option, as dentures are usually only appropriate if a person is missing a large number of teeth. And since dental implants are installed directly into the jaw, they can help support general oral health by keeping your patient's mouth in its proper shape.
Implants can also last for up to 20 years if they are properly taken care of on a daily basis. Unfortunately, they will eventually need replacement, which means they need to be surgically removed and new ones inserted. For many older patients, this can be a harrowing procedure. Accordingly, older patients are probably best served by dentures, as they are easier to remove and replace.
What Are The Major Differences?
Dentures of some kind have been around for hundreds of years although evidence suggests that ancient Egyptians probably used simple forms of dentures made out of real human teeth! They are, essentially, false teeth that can replace your upper or lower plates or both. Implants are individually installed false teeth that are installed directly into the jaw.
Who Benefits From Dentures?
Dentures are most appropriate for people who
have lost large amounts of teeth because they help replace them in one go, rather than individually. How can you know when your patient has lost enough teeth for dentures? A good guide is if they have three or more missing teeth in a row in a single plate. That kind of teeth loss is generally severe and is likely to lead to major tooth loss.
There are problems with dentures, however. They need to be carefully maintained or else they can decay in less than 10 years. As a result, if your patient is really negligent with their general tooth care (or if you think they'll be bad at applying dentures adhesive and rinsing them at night, implants may be a better option.
Who Benefits From Implants?
Patients who have only a handful of missing teeth usually benefit more from dental implants than they do from dentures. In fact, in these cases, they are probably the only option, as dentures are usually only appropriate if a person is missing a large number of teeth. And since dental implants are installed directly into the jaw, they can help support general oral health by keeping your patient's mouth in its proper shape.
Implants can also last for up to 20 years if they are properly taken care of on a daily basis. Unfortunately, they will eventually need replacement, which means they need to be surgically removed and new ones inserted. For many older patients, this can be a harrowing procedure. Accordingly, older patients are probably best served by dentures, as they are easier to remove and replace.