Same Day Implants Or Dentures For Missing Teeth?

When it comes to replacing a full arch of missing teeth, which of these is the better option?

We all hope that it won’t happen to us, and if we look after our teeth well, with good brushing and flossing and regular dental care, there is a good chance that it won’t; but losing a full arch of teeth can happen to anybody for a number of reasons.

The main cause for people losing all of their teeth isn’t always poor cleaning which allows decay and periodontal diseases to occur. Old age is inevitably a factor, but also facial trauma from car accidents or sports injuries can sometimes lead to this outcome. It isn’t a pleasant thought that, one day, this might happen to us, but if it does, we don’t simply have to put up with it and there are options available at our Chelmsford dental clinic for replacing these missing teeth.

The two main options available to patients of Blue Sky Dental who suffer this level of tooth loss are dentures or dental implants. In today’s blog, we are going to look at the pros and cons of both of these to help you decide which would be most appropriate for your own situation.

Dentures

Dentures have been around for a very long time and have been the standard tooth replacement option for generations. Although dental implants are now becoming very popular, with dentures slowly becoming less so, they are still the first choice of some people.

There is little doubt that dentures are of a much better quality than they used to be but they also have their failings too.

Pros

1. Dentures are now more realistic looking and some even flex with the mouth for additional comfort when eating and speaking
2. They are more affordable, initially, than having dental implants placed
3. There is often no invasive treatment required to fit them although sometimes, if one or two teeth remain, we may need to remove these

Cons

1. Dentures are significantly less stable than implants and may move around in the mouth, making the gums sore and uncomfortable and making eating more difficult
2. As they don’t replace the tooth root, bone loss is likely to occur in the jaw which can cause facial shape changes and is also one of the main reasons why dentures often don’t fit as well after a while
3. Although they may be financially cheaper initially, there are likely to be ongoing costs for adjustments, and replacement. They may also break if you drop them in the sink when cleaning them
4. Dentures need to be removed from the mouth and soaked overnight for cleaning. This is highly inconvenient for most people

Same day implants

Dental implants replace not only the crown of the tooth but the root too. This does require a one off invasive treatment, but for a full arch, there is no need to replace each tooth individually. Usually four or six implants are placed in order to secure a fixed bridge into place.

Pros

1. Immediate tooth replacement. Although this treatment does require surgery, once the implants have been placed and the bridge fitted, you can leave our Chelmsford clinic with a fully functional set of replacement teeth
2. Long lasting. Providing that you take care of them as we instruct, your new implants should last for a very long time and due to prevention of bone loss, should require no adjusting or replacing
3. Despite being more costly initially, same day implants can work out to be very cost effective in the long run due to the above reasons
4. They are natural looking and, after the initial period, will feel like natural teeth too. You will soon forget that you have artificial teeth and not natural ones
5. They are incredibly strong and stable and won’t move around in the mouth at all providing that you look after them and your gums. Eating will not be a problem and you won’t need to avoid certain foods

Cons

1. The initial financial outlay is more than dentures. We offer a range of payment plans that will help you to spread the cost of your payments over a period of time
2. They do require surgery but this is a one off  treatment and you will be in the excellent hands of our experienced implant dentists

Ultimately, the choice of which option is preferred is entirely that of the patient. In our opinion, teeth implants are the way forward and offer a lot of benefits over dentures. We do understand that, especially if you are not too familiar with them, the procedure may seem a little frightening but it really is nothing to worry about. If you would like to know more and would like an initial consultation with us with no commitments and the opportunity to ask questions, why not arrange an appointment at Blue Sky Dental by calling us on 01245 211070.