Dentures serve their intended purpose, which is why they have a deep-rooted history in the world of dentistry. Being extremely common among patients with swaths of missing or extracted teeth, dentures are an affordable alternative to somewhat emulate the functionality of a full smile.
Yet, they’re far from perfect. For those of you missing the majority of the teeth, due to age, physical accident, or medical condition, you may be better served by investing in implant supported dentures to fully transform your smile permanently!
Let’s review why this alternative holds the upper hand over traditional dentures, and how implant supported dentures manage to combine the best of both worlds.
When Regular Dentures Fall Short
Traditional dentures have enhanced the lives of millions throughout the decades, but not without their obvious weak points.
Typical dentures are crafted from durable dental materials, where the false teeth are constructed from usually porcelain or resin which sit on an acrylic artificial gum line. Constituting a capable mechanism, their major downfall comes from their intended design to be taken in and out of the mouth at ease.
This means dentures come alongside substantial responsibilities, commonly resulting in patients damaging or loosing their false teeth at some point throughout the years.
Dentures must also be taken out of the mouth and thoroughly cleansed with a unique at-home routine, as food particles frequently build up around them while in the mouth. They also have a tendency to impact your speech and saliva production as even the best fitting dentures will never become totally familiarized with the rest of the oral anatomy.
With all these shortcomings, more and more patients have been drawn towards a more reliable alternative which transforms the smile without many of these infamous complications! Of course, we’re referring to implant supported dentures!
A Solid Support System
Implant supported dentures present an interesting combination of the impressive implant procedure paired with the aesthetics of dentures.
This process entails much of the typical implant procedure. However, instead of replacing one tooth, it aims to replace the entirety of the upper or lower jaw. When installing an implant, a dental professional drills a titanium post into jaw bone, which acts as a shiny new tooth root that will stay in place forever.
Now here’s where the difference comes into play. Instead of one artificial tooth (or crown) being placed atop, the titanium post process is installed at multiple locations throughout the jaw to act as anchors for a full denture!
This truly takes the implant process to a next level. As you now have a permanently fused full row of durable teeth structured into the very fabric of your smile. If tended to according to your dental professional’s standards, this impressive new addition will last you upwards of 25 years! Now that’s an undeniable improvement from the lifespan of traditional dentures- and that’s if you don’t accidently lose them along the way.
A Higher Quality of Life
Permanent dental procedures come with a higher price tag, but it’s undeniably well worth it, as their benefits are second to none (sometimes even surpassing natural teeth). To better understand their appeal, let’s go over the huge boon they provide to your quality of life.
Out of sight, out of mind
The major downfall of traditional dentures is having to frequently remove and maintenance them. Implant supported dentures are permanently fused into the structure of your smile, meaning you’ll never have much thought behind their existence. Except of course, treating and tending to them as natural teeth. Meaning, twice daily brushing and daily flossing to ensure they’re void of bacteria accumulation!
Look and feel
Implant supported dentures look incredibly more natural than their old school predecessor. While typical dentures are crafted to emulate natural teeth, they often slip out of their intended position as they aren’t permanently attached to anything. With implant supported dentures, you’ll seldom have this worry on your mind. Furthermore, you’re speaking and chewing capabilities will match that of your once natural smile.
Stopping the aging process
Okay, nothing is going to stop you from aging. But, its important to note that dentures typically contribute to losing jaw bone density as they rest along the gum and fail to provide direct stimulation to the deeper jawbone like tooth roots do. Implant supported dentures completely tackle this issue, as the implant process requires titanium posts being drilled into the jawbone. And while it may sound painful at first glance, it will greatly benefit your facial features through the years ahead!
