Dentures are one of the oldest forms of teeth replacement, but they’ve gotten quite a bad rap over the years. You might remember an elderly relation struggling with their dentures. Thankfully, modern dentures are affordable, more comfortable, and natural-looking than their predecessors. For these reasons, dentures remain a popular choice. But if you are still unsure whether wearing dentures is right for you, we’re here to help. In this post, we’ll discuss dentures’ pros and cons so you can make an informed decision.
Firstly, the pros of wearing dentures
Affordability – Dentures represent an affordable option compared to other forms of teeth replacement like dental implants. In fact, low-cost dentures can be between one-third and half the cost of a single dental implant. Even for high-quality upper and lower dentures, you are likely to pay just a little more than a single tooth implant.
Non-surgical process – Wearing dentures might be the best option for you if you don’t like the idea of undergoing dental surgery. Because dentures are designed to be easily removable and custom-made to rest over the jaw’s bony ridge, they rely on suction to keep them in place. Therefore, unlike dental implants, they don’t require surgically fixing into position.
Less wait time – In most cases, conventional dentures are fitted in just two sittings. If your dentist first needs to extract teeth, the process could take around six to eight weeks. Still, when compared to dental implants that can take up to 9 months to complete, traditional dentures provide a relatively fast solution for missing teeth replacement.
Now, we did say that we would talk about dentures’ pros and cons. So, it wouldn’t be representative to talk about the former without mentioning the latter. With this in mind, let’s dive straight in.
The disadvantages or cons of conventional dentures
Unable to prevent further bone loss – Here’s the thing! When a tooth is missing, the bone tissue that once supported the tooth root is no longer required. As a result, it gets reabsorbed back into the body. While dental implants prevent this from happening, wearing dentures cannot. Therefore, as the jaw changes shape, conventional dentures will need to be realigned regularly, and eventually, at around the 4-6 year point, they will need to be swapped out for new ones.
Not as durable as implants – While dentures do aid eating and chewing, they aren’t as strong as implant-supported restorations. So what do we mean by this?
Various studies suggest that the maximum bite force (MBF) of implant-supported fixtures is significantly greater than conventional dentures. MBF can be as much as 50-60% more.
Limited dietary intake – Watching what you eat when wearing dentures aligns with the point above. Because traditional dentures have significantly less biting and chewing power than dental implants, you may need to watch for foods like hard candies, crunchy fruits, vegetables, and chewy toffee. While it isn’t necessary to stick to a softer food diet, most denture wearers have to adapt their diet in some form or other to preserve the life of their dentures.
We’ve tried to remain neutral when talking about dentures’ pros and cons. The good news is that there isn’t a right or wrong answer. What suits one patient may not, for various reasons, suit another. Instead, you need to be sure that you know what you are buying into and why!
If you are still unsure and would like some professional advice, then come and talk to the team at My Local Dentists. We adopt an honest and transparent approach and will not suggest a particular treatment if it doesn’t suit your needs or requirements. Instead, we’ll give you an honest assessment of dentures’ pros and cons vs dental implants, and we can take it from there. Does that sound fair to you?
Why not book a free smile consultation today and let us help you restore your smile and quality of life.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
References
History Of Dentistry.Net – History Of Dentures
http://www.historyofdentistry.net/dentistry-history/history-of-dentures
Canstar Insurance – Health Insurance And Dentures Cost
http://www.historyofdentistry.net/dentistry-history/history-of-dentures
Journal Of Oral Implantology – Effects of Implantology On Maximum Bite Force Of Edentulous Patients
https://meridian.allenpress.com/joi/article/35/4/196/2223/Effect-of-Implants-on-Maximum-Bite-Force-in