Are Dentures Still A Good Choice For Replacing Lost Teeth?

Our Canterbury dental implant team looks at why some patients still choose this traditional method

DentureAs you would probably expect from the name of our practice, we are firm believers that dental implants generally offer the best way to replace any lost or missing teeth.

There are many good reasons for this and we will take a brief look at some of these later.

The fact is though, that some people do still choose a more traditional route when it comes to replacing missing teeth, and in today’s blog we look at some of the reasons why some people still choose dentures.

Tried and tested

For some people, dentures are seen as a long standing teeth replacement method that has been used since ancient times. Modern dentures are obviously a great improvement on these and, for some, offer an acceptable and trusted solution that has been around for a very long time.

Dental implants, on the other hand, despite having been used for over 50 years now, are sometimes perhaps seen as a more ‘experimental’ approach and one that could go wrong. Nothing could be further from the truth, providing that you have them placed by a qualified and experienced team such as the one at Bradley and Partners Dental and Implant Clinic. The success rate of this procedure is very high and the vast majority of people end up with excellent long lasting and strong replacement teeth. But of course we always like to offer a choice of options for our local patients.

Non invasive procedure

One big appeal of dentures is that they usually require no invasive treatment and this can be a big positive for those who suffer from dental anxiety. Given the choice between a longer, more invasive treatment or a non invasive one, it probably isn’t surprising that some people opt for dentures. We do understand this and we see many nervous patients each week at our Canterbury practice.

Although we can understand this approach, we feel that it does miss out on the opportunity to have what is considered by many, to be the best treatment possible. We would encourage any patient opting to have dentures for this reason to come and talk to us first. We can then explain the alternative implant procedure, something which may have been exaggerated in the patient’s mind, and also discuss the possibility of sedation which will help to make the procedure more comfortable and less stressful for you.

The length of time a dental implant takes will depend on each individual case, but it will almost certainly be longer than most other procedures that you are used to having. Despite this, and especially with the help of sedation, this one off procedure can provide you with strong replacement teeth that, with regular good care, should last for 20 years or more.

Dentures are cheaper?

Dentures are one of the most immediately affordable tooth replacement options around and with economic uncertainties at the moment, it is understandable that some people will be cautious about spending.

Although this approach is understandable, there is more to be said about the longer term costs of implants vs dentures. Some studies have found that whilst dentures offer the cheapest initial option, ongoing costs such as denture repairs, adjustments and replacements means that over time, the financial gap between dentures and dental implants is significantly reduced. If cost is an issue, we offer a range of very good payment plans that will help you to spread the cost and you will very possibly find that implants are a more cost-effective solution over the longer term.

Dentures look realistic

There was a time when this would have easily been disputed. Modern technology now means that dentures can be produced that look much more natural. The replacement teeth can be made to match the same style as your own and the acrylic usually used can be made in a shade similar to that of your gums.

Despite this, the reality is that healthy teeth are stable, and whilst dentures have improved in this area, not all patients find their dentures to be as stable as they would like, with occasional movement in the mouth still occurring.

Consideration should also be given as to how they feel. Some people find that dentures make their gums sore, but even where this is not the case, few would argue that dentures feel like natural teeth when they are eating, with many wearers avoiding certain foods to make life easier.

This is an area where dental implants really do come into their own. Once fully integrated in the mouth, dental implants can help you bite and chew any food that you wish to eat, all without any movement of the implant.

At Bradley and Partners Dental and Implant Clinic, we believe in working with our patients to provide the best and most appropriate treatment that we can. We fully accept that, for some people, dentures are going to be the preferred option and we do offer high quality solutions for this at our Canterbury practice. We do encourage patients to discuss this with us though, and at least consider dental implants as an alternative. We believe that with more information, more patients are likely to pursue the implants route when all factors are known.

We make a promise that no pressure will be put on you to have implants, and, if after discussion with us you decide to opt for dentures, we promise that you will receive the usual high quality service that you would expect from our Canterbury dental team.

If you would like to discuss dentures, dental implants or any other treatment with us, we are always happy to help. Please call us on 01227 463529 for more information.