Implant Retained Dentures vs Traditional Dentures
Are you faced with having to replace all of your teeth with dentures? You can move forward with traditional dentures or you can review the option of implant retained dentures. If you talk to anyone who has changed from traditional dentures to snap on dentures, almost everyone will encourage you to pursue implant retained dentures.
Pros and Cons of Removable Dentures
Traditional dentures can initially appear to be less expensive than other tooth replacement options, but over time, dentures need to be adjusted, refit and redone. The acrylic wears down and your jaw bone shape and size changes. When the removable dentures are ill fitting, they will shift more while talking and eating and even cause sores on your gums. Because traditional dentures are held in place with adhesive and suction on top of the gums, you won’t be able to bite down hard or eat certain foods. If you do not mind eating softer foods and cutting your food into smaller bites or you need a low-cost immediate tooth replacement option, traditional removable dentures are the best option.
Advantages of Implant Dentures
The numerous advantages of implant retained dentures include:
- Permanently fixed in place or snapped in place for removal when cleaning
- Sense of security knowing they will stay in place throughout the day
- Slimmer size compared to traditional dentures
- Improved bone health and prevention of bone loss
- No need for adhesives
- No gum sore spots
- Improved comfort over traditional dentures
- Better biting and chewing functionality
- More similar to the feel and comfort of natural teeth
Dental implants are stronger than your natural teeth so the force of your bite is supported. Fewer implants are needed to support full dentures as compared to natural tooth roots and the dentures will be stabile with those few implants. There are even options like the “All on 4” slimline implant dentures that give you the closest feeling to natural teeth. Avoiding embarrassing social interactions and confidence to eat and speak prove implant supported dentures are the ideal solution to complete tooth replacement.
With the placement of the implants below the gumline and into the jaw bone, the implants fuse with the jawbone. You will avoid bone loss that happens when there are no tooth roots to stimulate the jaw bone.
Types of Implant Retained Dentures
There are options when considering implants to use in conjunction with your dentures. Some implant supported dentures can be permanently fixed in place giving you the look and feel of having a mouth full of teeth. For implant supported dentures, you will need a healthy jaw bone and a greater number of dental implants. Other implant retained dentures offer the option of removing your dentures at night for cleaning and fewer implants. Implant retained dentures can even rely on mini dental implants to keep the dentures in place. The “All on 4” option offers a narrower denture that is supported by strategically placed implants. You and the dentist can talk about each one of these options to leave you with the smile you want to share with the world.