Dentures vs. Implants: What’s the Right Choice for You?

October 1, 2017

Filed under: Blog,Dental Health,General — Tags: , , , — southlakedental @ 2:23 pm

If you’ve had several teeth removed or you’re facing an upcoming extraction, you need to think about how you will replace the teeth. Two of the most common options are dentures and implants. How do you know which is better for you? Only your dentist knows your specific circumstances, but here are some considerations to keep in mind.

Cost

One of your primary concerns might be cost. If you have many teeth that need to be replaced, than dentures will cost substantially less than implants. You should talk to your dental office’s financial administrator to find out what the cost difference will be. Also, find out whether your dental insurance will cover any of it. There might be payment plans to consider, too. Get all of the details before you make a decision based solely on the price.

Convenience

Once your implants heal, all you need to do is treat them like natural teeth. They stay in your mouth permanently and just need to be brushed and flossed. With dentures, you’ll need to take them out each evening to clean them. You also might need to avoid certain foods that are difficult to eat with dentures.

Ease of Use

Dental implants function like natural teeth. You can speak, whistle, chew, bite, and do everything you do with the teeth you’ve had your whole life to this point. Dentures have a bit of a learning curve. They can slip a bit and you might have a hard time whistling or biting into certain foods. Some of this will be overcome as you get used to them.

Your Dentist’s Recommendation

If you don’t have a lot of bone available, dental implants might not be an option for you. Also, there might be reasons why dentures won’t be your best option. Because your dentist knows your specific anatomy and challenges, he or she can best advise you on which type of tooth replacement is appropriate for you.

Keep in mind that some people choose to have one or more implants placed to give full dentures something to snap onto. This is a great way to maximize the benefits of both types of appliances. You can enjoy better stability of the dentures while minimizing the cost of the dental implants.

If you need your teeth replaced and aren’t sure what to do, please call us today to schedule an appointment.

Replacing a Missing Tooth

May 15, 2017

Filed under: Blog,General — Tags: , , , , — southlakedental @ 1:55 pm

While every effort is made to keep your teeth in your mouth for as long as possible, there are sometimes reasons why a tooth must be extracted. Whether it’s an infection, an injury, or a cracked tooth, it can be worrisome to patients to learn that they need to have a tooth pulled. In some cases, a patient might need to have all or most of their teeth extracted for various reasons. The good news is that there are several options when it comes to replacing a missing tooth.

Dental Implants

One good option for those who have sufficient bone is to have a dental implant placed to replace the missing tooth. An implant consists of a metal rod that is implanted in the bone of the jaw. After some time, a crown is placed over the rod. This gives you a “tooth” that functions exactly the same as a natural tooth.

Dental Bridge

If you are missing a tooth that’s in between two strong teeth, a dental bridge might be an option. You would have crowns on the two adjacent teeth, with an additional crown fused between the two. This crown sits slightly above your gumline, creating a bridge that is not anchored to the bone. A bridge is a permanent appliance that stays in your mouth as long as you have the teeth that are holding the crowns on either side of the missing tooth.

Partial or Full Denture

Dentures, which are sometimes called “false teeth” can have a bad rap, but the materials used nowadays are a big improvement over those used a few decades ago. Dentures can be full, meaning that they replace all of the teeth, or partial, meaning that they replace only some of the teeth.

Some dentures can also snap into dental implants. This might be a good option if you have sufficient bone to support one or more dental implants but not enough to support an entire jaw’s worth of implants. This is also a much less costly option than having all of your missing teeth replaced with implants if you have more than a few.

It is important to have a missing tooth replaced if possible. One reason is that it will improve your ability to chew and, depending on where the tooth is, speak. Also, if you leave an empty space and you have a tooth above or below it, that tooth can begin to super-erupt, or grow out more, because it doesn’t have an opposing tooth to keep it from doing so.

Talk to your dentist about how you can best replace your missing tooth. He or she will know your specific situation and will be able to advise you best.

Creative Commons image by nikoretro.