The prospect of losing a permanent tooth as an adult is alarming, to say the least. While there are several things you can do to prevent this unfortunate occurrence, such as maintaining strong home oral care habits in addition to visiting the dentist regularly, your teeth age and can incur damage over the years, just like any other part of your body.
In fact, there are numerous situations that can lead to a lost tooth. Among the most common is a full extraction, which is what your dentist will often recommend if a tooth becomes severely damaged or infected to the point where restorative dentistry cannot help. Teeth can also be lost as a result of gum disease or a traumatic injury.
Whatever the case may be, an incomplete smile can certainly affect self-esteem and self-confidence while further jeopardizing oral health with bone loss. Fortunately, there are several solutions that can help you restore the function and appearance of your smile. Among the most popular options for replacing one or more missing teeth are dentures and dental implants. While both of these choices accomplish the same goal, they are functionally quite different.
If you would need to have any of your adult teeth replaced, it is important to learn about and understand the two primary options available to you. This blog post will touch on each of these in an effort to help you make a more informed-decision when the time comes.
What Are Removable Dentures?
Removable dentures are devices that rest in the mouth and support replacement teeth. They can be designed to replace a single tooth, multiple teeth or even an entire upper or lower row of teeth. They are customized to fit your mouth and recreate the look of your natural teeth.
Removable dentures are also as the name implies, temporary. Since they are not permanently fixed, you can take them in and out for maintenance or care with ease. This is allows for a great amount of flexibility, but it does come with a slight trade-off. Due to their removable nature, they can often slip around within the mouth which can create challenges with eating or speaking for some people. They also require a diligent maintenance routine that needs to be adhered to in order for removable dentures to remain in good condition.
Further, since they are not fixed, they still allow your teeth the room they need to gently shift. As a result, they require regular dental visits for potential resizing.
What Are Dental Implants?
A dental implant is a device that is permanently attached to the jawbone to mimic the root of a natural tooth. Once the implant is installed, it will support a full crown, or a replacement tooth. This crown will be customized to match your natural tooth and will function in a nearly identical fashion. This means that it will be effectively as sturdy and durable as a regular tooth. It will support neighboring teeth and the structure of your mouth without slipping around or falling out. Implants require the same amount of care as your natural teeth (daily brushing, flossing, mouth rinses, dental cleanings, etc.) but less maintenance than dentures.
Dental implant technology has made remarkable strides in the last decade or so, and implants have become an increasingly popular choice for replacing missing teeth.
