Dental Implants and Dentures

Dentures and implants are two different treatment methods that are frequently preferred in the treatment of missing teeth. In order to choose the right treatment method for you, you need to have detailed information about both applications. When choosing the right method, it is useful to consider details such as price, preference, bone tissue, condition of the teeth.

Dentures and implants are used for the same purpose. These purposes are:

• After the application, you can chew and bite the foods you want.
• It allows you to support your facial muscle.
• If you don’t have any teeth in your mouth, it supports your speech.
• It increases your self-confidence because you have a beautiful smile.

Procedure for Dentures and Implants

• Implants

Implants are fixed to the jawbone with screws. Therefore, the patient must have a certain amount of bone tissue. According to the information revealed by the researches, especially middle-aged and older people prefer implant treatment for missing teeth. The damaged tooth of the patient is extracted and the screw is mounted by drilling a hole in the root of the related tooth. A piece called abutment is added to the upper part of the screw. After the healing process is completed, a crown piece that will function as a natural tooth is added. The healing process takes between 2 and 4 months on average. After the treatment process is completed, people have teeth that they can use comfortably for a lifetime with the right care.

• Dentures

Prostheses are among the treatment methods used regardless of how much bone tissue is in the patient’s mouth. People can wear and remove dentures whenever they want. They consist of two separate parts for both the lower and upper jaw. If the patient has only a few missing teeth, it is also designed for only missing teeth. After measuring the lower and upper jaws of the patient, the prostheses are prepared. Dentures with the appearance of natural teeth and gums are fixed with a special adhesive. It is shaped by the dentist in accordance with the patient’s mouth. For this reason, it is necessary to go to regular doctor control and check the current condition of the prostheses.

Maintenance of Dentures and Implants

The care of dental implants is similar to natural dental care. Because implants look and function like natural teeth, they need the same care routine. For this reason, people should brush their teeth at least 2 times a day with a soft toothbrush. At the same time, regular dental floss and mouthwash prevent the formation of bacteria. Information about the current health status should be obtained as a regular visit to the dentist.

For dentures, the maintenance routine is more frequent. Daily care is needed for the prosthesis to maintain its function. For example, dentures should be removed before going to sleep. The removed prostheses should be kept in water with a special solution or in drinking water. It should also be removed and brushed at regular intervals per day. After eating, it must be removed to clean the residues. Food residues sticking to the gums should also be cleaned after each meal.

Since dentures lose their form over time, they should be checked regularly by the dentist. This is not the case with dental implants. Even if the crown part cracks, it is continued to be used safely by replacing it with a new crown.

Making a Decision on Dentures vs. Implants

If you are searching for the right treatment for your missing teeth, you may want to do research on implants and dentures. There are some factors that will affect your decision about how your teeth should be. These elements are:

Your age: Implants are among the permanent dental treatments. People who are not of advanced age prefer implants for both aesthetic and comfort purposes. Elderly people can continue to use dentures as they do not want to deal with long treatment procedures. However, implants offer the best solution for missing teeth due to the comfort and quality of life they provide.

Bone condition: For implant treatment, the patient’s jawbone must have a certain tissue. If there is tissue loss due to injury, age, disease and tooth loss, implant treatment is not performed. In order to benefit from the treatment, it is necessary to strengthen the patient’s bone tissue. Because bone grafting is an expensive and lengthy procedure, many people turn to dentures.

Feeling: Dental implants have a very comfortable and aesthetic form compared to dentures. The chewing and biting abilities of people have the same function as natural teeth.

Hygiene: People who use dentures have to do regular maintenance. However, implants are applications that require less maintenance than dentures. If you think that you cannot do daily denture care, implants will be the right choice for you.

Implant Supported Dentures

Using dentures and dentures for many years causes deformation of the jawbone. Due to the change in the shape of the jawbone over time, the prosthesis used by the person becomes unusable. Due to the loss of tissue in the bone, a prosthesis that fits on the bone cannot be designed. For this reason, implant-supported prostheses have been developed for people who experience tissue loss to use comfortably. Implant supported dentures are recommended for missing teeth and instead of uncomfortable dentures.

The implants placed are helpful in fixing the prostheses to be used in both the lower and upper jaws. It is generally preferred by patients for lower jaw prosthesis fixation. Thanks to the fixed prosthesis, people can easily eat and talk. Supported dentures not only have the appearance of natural teeth, but also have the same function as natural teeth. It provides comfort to the person in terms of biting and chewing.

It protects the jawbone and prevents the jawbone from melting. Unsupported prostheses damage the bone structure over time. Implants integrate with the bone and become a part of the bone. It has an aesthetic appearance and easy maintenance. Dentures can prevent some foods from being consumed. However, thanks to the supported prostheses, the person can easily consume any food they want.