Office News |5 min read

Ditch The Dentures For Dental Implants

There’s nothing that can keep a person from smiling more than a missing tooth.

When we think of things that can keep us from smiling, we tend to think of things like our favorite sports team losing, injuring ourselves, or seeing a loved one suffer.

But when you think about it, a missing tooth can keep us from smiling even when we are happy, and things are going well in our lives.

That’s why most people rush to the dentist as soon as they’ve lost their tooth.

No one wants to worry about the embarrassment that can come along with having a missing tooth, so they get a replacement tooth so that they can get on with their lives.

For years dentures have been the go-to option for replacement teeth.

If you’ve ever had a tooth replaced, you likely have dentures.

While your dentures do their job, and they replaced your missing teeth so you can smile without worry, maybe you’ve had them long enough to realize they aren’t working for you.

So you started looking around for alternatives, and you stumbled across dental implants.

You aren’t sure they’re an option for you since you already have dentures, but they seem like they are exactly what you’re looking for.

Is it possible to ditch your dentures for dental implants?

In the article below, we will discuss what you need to know if you are thinking about switching from dentures to dental implants.

Table of Contents

  • The Downside of Dentures
  • Dental Implants To The Rescue
  • Bone Grafts
  • What Happens To Your Dentures?
  • Make The Switch

The Downside of Dentures

Many benefits of dentures could lead someone to choose them to replace missing teeth.

They’re easier to get, require less time for recovery, and the cost is usually much lower than dental implants.

Those reasons alone make dentures attractive to most patients.

However, after a while, they begin to realize why dentures are the cheaper choice for tooth replacement.

They can quickly become an annoyance, slipping while you talk or eat and require extra adhesive.

It can hurt taking them out at the end of the day because your adhesive sticks a little too good.

Cleaning them is a pain.

No matter how great dentures seem in the beginning, they have some definite drawbacks.

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Dental Implants To The Rescue

Switching from dentures to dental implants will improve your oral health as well as your overall quality of life.

Your dental implants will never slip in your mouth or feel like they could slip out at any second.

Food won’t get stuck in your implants as it does in dentures, so no more sore gums or raw spots.

You also won’t be restricted in what foods you can and can’t eat.

You will be able to eat all of your favorite foods, even the foods that are harder to bite into.

Dental implants are cared for the same way you care for your natural teeth, so no more taking your teeth out at the end of the night and soaking them in a glass.

You can also say goodbye to denture adhesives.

Dental implants are the next best thing you can have next to natural teeth.

Dentures will always feel like something foreign is in your mouth.

With dental implants, it just feels like you have your natural teeth.

Bone Grafts

Something you need to know if you want to switch from dentures to dental implants is that you might need a bone graft.

When your teeth are removed from your gums and jaw, and they aren’t replaced with anything, your jawbone can actually shrink.

This can change the entire shape of your face, and it can also make getting dental implants a much longer process.

If you don’t have enough bone for the implant to be attached to, your implant procedure probably won’t be successful.

Your dentist will be able to assess your situation and determine whether or not bone grafting will be necessary.

If it is, they will add new bone to your existing bone.

This procedure comes with a four to six month recovery period for the new bone to fuse to the old bone.

Once that is done, you will be able to have your dental implant procedure.

What Happens To Your Dentures?

Many people are glad to know they will never have to use their dentures.

Other people ask if they will be able to use their dentures with their new implants.

This is possible in rare cases, but it typically doesn’t work.

Most dentures aren’t sturdy enough to withstand what you can do with your implants, like chew certain foods.

You will have a crown or bridge instead, although implant-supported dentures may also be an option.

If you are considering using implant-supported dentures instead of a bridge or crown, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

You lose many of the benefits of dental implants like treating them like natural teeth.

Your dentures will have to be removed to be cleaned.

You’ll have to take them out when you go to bed.

Your dentures will be stronger if you use dentures with implants, and you won’t need adhesive, but they still come with a few inconveniences and still aren’t as beneficial as dental implants.

Make The Switch

Most people with dentures will be ideal patients to make the switch to dental implants.

Even if you do need bone grafting, that procedure can be done without significant interruptions to your life and will lead to a big improvement in your quality of life.

If you’re considering the switch, the first step you should take is to speak to a qualified dentist with experience with dental implants.

The team at Hylan Dental Care have years of experience and expertise, helping patients transition to dental implants, and they will be happy to answer any questions you have.

Jut know you aren’t stuck with dentures that don’t work for you anymore, and you won’t believe how much your life will change once you ditch your dentures for dental implants.

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