People looking to get their missing tooth replaced are often faced with the dilemma of either having dentures or dental implants. Having a clean, healthy mouth and a beautiful set of teeth allows you to smile confidently. Moreover, smiling can crucially impact your life. For one, a smiling person is perceived as more approachable and optimistic. Aside from that, it can affect your overall health by reducing your blood pressure, managing stress levels and boosting the immune system. After all, a pretty smile may all be what you need to have the confidence to face the challenges every day. (1)
But then again, is having your tooth replaced really necessary?
Do you need dentures or implants?
Understanding the necessity of dentures or implants is an excellent first step before deciding which option you should choose. As mentioned, missing teeth may lower your confidence, especially if it’s your front teeth. However, low confidence isn’t the only effect of having one or two teeth missing, cracked, or damaged. In fact, it’ll also affect your health.
For instance, if your gums are exposed, it’s easy for bacteria and food to get stuck in them. If these pieces of food and bacteria aren’t cleaned properly, then you’ll be susceptible to infections. Remember that infections are often a precursor to gum diseases linked to diabetes and heart disease. (2)
Moreover, missing teeth will also affect your jaw’s structure. This is because your missing tooth’s neighbour may attempt to fill the gap, causing it to shift. The shift, then, will have a domino effect, which will eventually cause your jaw to move as well, rendering your mouth structure to become unstable.
Dentures vs dental implants
Now that you know the impacts of having missing teeth, before going to the best Sydney dental implants or dentures, it’s essential to know the difference between the two first. Here’s a quick overview of both:
- Dentures
These are oral appliances made to look and function like a natural tooth. Depending on the nature and extent of the tooth loss, a dentist may either recommend a full or partial denture. The former attempts to replace an entire arch of teeth, while the latter only replaces two or more. (3)
Here are some benefits you can gain when you have dentures:
- Restore multiple teeth
- Affordable
- Faster recovery time
- Dental implants
These are usually made of titanium; an implant is a prosthetic tooth root designed to be placed in your jaw to support a crown. Many patients attest that implants function and look like their natural teeth. Thus, if you have implants, you can still enjoy your favourite food without worrying about slipping dentures.
Since they function like natural teeth, it’s expected that you also take care of them as if it is one – brush your teeth twice or thrice a day and floss at least once.
Here are some pros of dental implants:
- Highly durable
- No specialized care needed
- Natural feeling and appearance
Appearance, comfort and cost
With the pros all laid out, it’s now time to compare dentures and implants based on three important factors: appearance, comfort and cost. Here’s a comparison between the two:
- Appearance: Modern dentures are now made to be indistinguishable from your natural teeth. On the other hand, a dental implant is designed to look like a natural tooth. Dentists will work hard to match both the colour and shape of your existing teeth. So, there’s nothing significantly different from both in terms of their appearance.
- Comfort: If you’re wearing dentures, then you have to worry about debris getting caught and slippage, causing discomfort and difficulty while speaking or eating. Also, you have to remove the dentures every time you clean them at night. On the other hand, implants don’t require heavy maintenance, and you don’t have to adjust your routine as they’ll feel like your natural teeth.
- Cost: Dentures cost less than implants. However, the prices may vary depending on the dentist’s location and other factors. An estimated cost of a partial denture is around AUD$2,700. Whereas dental implants cost around AUD$4,000 to AUD$6,000 per tooth. (4) (5)
Takeaway
Gone are the days when you have to live your life knowing that a beautiful smile is only a dream. With advancements in oral medicines, you now have the option to choose between dentures or implants. Unfortunately, choosing the best option can be confusing, mainly since both deliver to fill or replace any missing tooth you have.
Fortunately, you now have a guide that’ll hopefully allow you to make an informed decision with this article. Still, if you’re unsure, always consult a healthcare professional as they have the expertise needed to decide for you.
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