Missing teeth affect your confidence, your ability to eat and speak, and your overall health. At Smile Dental Center, we specialize in restoring smiles with expert implant and denture solutions that look natural and feel secure. Whether you’re exploring your first tooth replacement or ready for a permanent upgrade, our team offers the experience, technology and personalized care to find the right solution for your smile. Book an appointment today!
Risks for tooth loss increase with age. In fact, nearly 70 percent of adults aged 35 to 44 have at least one missing tooth. For the senior age group, 25 percent have lost all of their teeth.
Whether tooth loss occurs in response to decay, gum disease, injury or jawbone loss, replacements maintains your quality of life and appearance. Missing teeth impact how you chew and the types of food you eat. The absence of a tooth root also causes jawbone tissue and atrophy, leading to gradual sagging, uneven and sunken areas around your mouth.
Due to these effects, dentists recommend two solutions for patients with missing teeth: implants or dentures. Learn more about how these prosthetics work and their benefits.
What Are Dentures?
Dentures are a removable set of teeth secured to your gums. Traditional dentures require an adhesive paste, while more modern solutions involve a set of implants.
In either case, dentures restore your smile and allow you to effectively chew most foods. Because they’re not permanent, you’ll remove them at the end of the day to clean before reinserting them in the morning.
Dentures are designed to replace all or a partial row of teeth, with options including:
- Full dentures replace a full arc or level of teeth, designed for your upper or lower jaw.
- Partial dentures replace a series of teeth. The artificial teeth are attached to a plastic or nylon base, the same color as your gums, and secure to adjacent teeth.
- Overdentures, which fit on top of existing teeth to preserve your jawbone and strengthen existing teeth.
Benefits of Dentures
Dentures offer several benefits for people missing multiple teeth:
- Durable, high-quality materials mirror the appearance of your teeth and gum tissue to restore your smile.
- Dentures offer a non-invasive solution to replace multiple missing teeth and restore bite strength.
- Dentures benefit patients who don’t have sufficient bone or gum tissue to support implants.
- Dentures are a more cost-effective restoration option without the wait time and surgery needed for implants.
- Care is more straightforward. You’ll gently brush and clean your set with a denture-specific paste to remove adhesive and food particles before soaking them overnight.
However, patients considering dentures are advised to consider the following factors:
- Tooth and Jawbone Loss: Traditional dentures do not halt jawbone loss, as only the upper portion of the tooth is replaced. When the jawbone doesn’t receive sufficient stimulation, atrophy is likely to continue. Your jawbone may change shape and the dentures may no longer fit with time.
- Lifespan: According to the American Dental Association, dentures are designed to be replaced every five to seven years. Even during this period, your dentist may adjust the dentures as your mouth and jawbone change.
- Adjustment Period: Dentures can take some getting used to, especially for speaking and eating.
- Food Limitations: While dentures let you chew consistently and evenly, hard foods aren’t always broken down completely or can crack your dentures. Sticky foods also create a residue that needs to be brushed off.
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are artificial tooth roots that support a crown, bridge or dentures. They are recommended for secure, long-term single-tooth replacement, as well as for more extensive rows of teeth.
A titanium post is inserted into the jawbone, which helps stimulate jawbone tissue to reduce further loss. On top, an abutment creates a platform for a single tooth or row of teeth sculpted to seamlessly blend in with the rest of your mouth and preserve bite strength.
More patients are opting for implants over other dental restorations, as they replicate the look, feel and function of natural teeth and can last over a decade with proper maintenance.
However, getting implants can be a drawn-out process. Surgically inserting the posts to integrate with the jawbone can take several weeks. In the meantime, your dentist has a crown, bridge or dentures made and will fit them to your mouth once the posts are secured.
As such, dental implants are not for everyone:
- Sufficient jawbone tissue is required to support a set of implants.
- Implants are not recommended for individuals with chronic conditions or who smoke, as the body takes longer to heal.
- Implants depend on healthy gum tissue; your dentist won’t insert posts until your gum or periodontal disease is under control.
Benefits of Dental Implants
As a long-term solution, implants offer the following advantages:
- Better preservation of jawbone tissue
- Artificial teeth that look and function like your natural teeth
- Long-term use
- Intuitive care – brush twice a day and floss at least once
Is one of your implants loose? Did you accidentally crack your dentures? Don’t wait. We see emergencies same day!