Dental Implants Versus Dentures: Why Implants Are Better

Are you in need of a set of artificial teeth? Are you trying to decide whether to purchase ordinary dentures or if it's worth the extra expense of buying implants instead? There are many reasons for choosing one type of dental appliance over another, but implants are often the best choice for many people. To understand why that is, here are some of the ways that dental implants are better than simply buying dentures:

Stronger jaws: When you have your original teeth removed, the bones underneath your gums almost immediately start to deteriorate. Without your teeth to add resistance and to help "exercise" the underlying bone, the bone itself will start to dissolve. This is one of the reasons why people complain about their dentures no longer fitting. The dentures may have fit the person's original gumline, but the shape of his or her mouth has changed over the years so that the fit is no longer as good. With dental implants, the posts are anchored into your jawbones like your teeth were. This helps keep your bones from receding, keeping your jaws stronger overall.

Longer lasting: Due to your gums changing shape over the years, a set of dentures may not last very long at all before you need to have them replaced. You may be able to have them resurfaced, but this isn't always possible. Depending on your mouth and the dentures in question, you may need to have them resurfaced or remade two or three times a decade. In contrast, dental implants become a part of you. Although the teeth can be damaged in an accident, just as your original teeth could, proper care will help to ensure that the appliance as a whole will last you for the rest of your life. 

Less expensive: If you can afford the up-front cost, the price of dental implants can be less expensive in the long run than dentures can be. Each time your dentures need to be remade, the cost will be the same as the first time you purchased them. Having them resurfaced can be less injurious to your wallet, but can still be a huge expense. At some point in the future, you may find yourself trying to decide between having teeth and being able to eat or paying your utility bills. Once you add in the daily costs of denture adhesive to make sure that your teeth stay in your mouth, you are likely to find that you would have saved money in the long run by getting dental implants in the first place.

For more information, contact a local dentist, such as John S. Lyon DDS.

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