Dentures are an essential part of making your smile shine after it has been worn from age and use. You can go from missing all of your teeth to a full smile in just a couple of visits with dentures. Sounds pretty amazing right?
There are two main kinds of dentures—implant-supported and traditional. If you are looking to restore large parts of your smile, you may be wondering which approach is better for you. Evolution Dental has the answers to help you get a new smile.
What are Traditional Dentures?
Traditional dentures have been a part of dentistry for at least a couple thousand years. They are reliable and make a big cosmetic difference to your smile! These dentures rest over your gums, using suction and specialized dental adhesive to stay secure.
They are custom-designed, just like implant-supported dentures, so they will fit your general facial aesthetics and will feel comfortable resting on your gums throughout the day.
Traditional dentures can repair an entire arch of your smile or they can replace just a section of your smile too. Those are called partial dentures, or partials for short!
What are Implant-Supported Dentures?
Implant-supported dentures replace an entire arch of teeth too. But they are supported by implants that are placed in your jawbone, acting as tooth roots.
These dentures rest on 4–6 implants. Thankfully, you don’t have to have an implant for every tooth in your smile!
Now let’s look at some factors for deciding between the two:
Comfort
Both traditional and implant-supported dentures are comfortable for different reasons. Traditional dentures can be removed when you are home or when you are about to go to bed, which can be especially nice if you have been without teeth for a while and a new arch of teeth feels unfamiliar.
Implant-supported dentures don’t have the risk of shifting around or moving and act much more like natural teeth. However, implant-supported dentures are not as often used to replace a portion of your smile, since the dentures need to anchor to the remaining part of your smile.
Appearance
Dentures are a stellar option for fixing up your whole smile, not just your teeth. Dentures support the skin around your smile, providing you with a youthful appearance, while also giving you back a smile that you want to show off.
Traditional and implant-supported dentures are both custom to your smile, creating facial harmony. They appear just like your natural smile.
Oral Health
Implant-supported dentures are essential for maintaining jawbone health. Implants act as tooth roots, which provide a secure anchor for your dentures while promoting jawbone density. Without a properly anchored jawbone, you may notice jaw pain and facial sagging.
Both kinds of dentures help protect your gums from infection and irritation. If you are experiencing missing teeth, acting quickly can preserve your oral health, especially your gums.
For implant-supported dentures, you must have all of your teeth removed before implant placement. Traditional dentures can work around your remaining teeth.
Trained Doctors at Your Side
If you visit Dr. Cast and Dr. Lee at Evolution Dental, you will have two dentists who will work with you for your restorative dentistry! You can rely on them for highly educated opinions on which solution will work best for giving you the new smile you have dreamt of.
Learn More About Your Tooth Replacement Options
Evolution Dental has the resources for you to have a beautiful smile once more. You can enjoy retirement in the beautiful Palm Desert area with an entirely new smile when you get dentures. If you want to learn more about dentures and meet our Harvard-trained surgeons, you can call us today!