If you are missing several or all of your teeth, you have two options to replace them: dentures or dental implants. Many dentists promote dental implants as a modern and permanent solution, but they are not suitable for everyone. Here are a few advantages of dentures as an alternative to dental implants.
1. Avoid Invasive Surgery
In order to get dental implants, you have to go through oral surgery to place the support posts into your gums. This process is quite invasive and involves a significant period of recovery, during which it is possible that you could develop an infection in the gum tissue. The surgery itself is quite difficult for people with a dental phobia as it is lengthy. Sometimes, it is possible to be put to sleep during the procedure, but anaesthetic is not suitable for everyone — it carries risk for some elderly people, for example.
Dentures involve no invasive procedures. The fitting process simply involves making a mould of your gums, using a soft material that is placed over them and pressed down to create an accurate impression of their shape. A dental technician then produces dentures to fit you. At no point do you have to undergo any surgical procedures.
2. Keep Costs Low
Dentures are an affordable solution to missing teeth. Due to the complexity of the fitting procedure, dental implants can be very expensive. A set of dentures is within the budget of most people.
There are ongoing costs associated with the repair and adjustment of dentures. However, the lifetime cost of the dentures could still be lower than the cost of dental implants, particularly if you are relatively old when you lose your natural teeth.
3. Enjoy Realistic False Teeth
If you think that you can always tell when people are wearing dentures, think again. Modern dentures look extremely realistic. Dentists take great care to match the shape and colour of your false teeth to any remaining teeth that you have or choose something that looks natural in your mouth.
The best way to ensure that your dentures look real is to ensure they fit well. That means having regular dental check-ups so that your dentist can adjust the dentures to match any changes in the shape of your mouth or gums. When they fit well, dentures do not move around inside the mouth. Instead, they stay in place at all times, allowing you to eat, talk and even laugh or sneeze with confidence.
Share10 September 2021
I have worked as a school nurse for decades. Children come to me with all sorts of scrapes and bumps and bruises. Black eyes from playing football, sprained wrists from falling off the monkey bars and stomachaches from too many sweets are common complaints. However, the issue that seems to cause the greatest angst is tooth problems. Sometimes a child will have a second tooth knocked out when playing sport and parents arrive in tears. At other times, children come to my office crying because their friends are teasing them about teeth that are discoloured or stick out. I take an active interest in the latest dental news so that I can give parents and children comfort and advice. I have included some of my collected wisdom on these pages. Perhaps this information can help you understand some options when faced with a dental problem. Thank you for reading.