When you’re missing teeth, be it a few, many, or all of them, the important thing is to replace them. Today, there are several treatments available to replace lost teeth. There are partial dentures, full dentures, bridges, and implants. While a dental bridge can be used to replace one or a few missing teeth in a row, a partial denture can replace more than one missing tooth, even if they are not in a row. Full dentures replace all of your teeth on your top, bottom, or both dental ridges, and implants are a long-term, permanent solution to replacing missing teeth. Today we discuss full dentures vs dental implants.
Dentures
Full, also called complete, dentures are traditionally the treatment choice for the fully edentulous (those missing all of their teeth). A full denture consists of a pink, gum-colored plastic base designed to fit snugly over your gums. The plastic base holds your replacement teeth. The denture is held in place via natural suction, and dental adhesive. The problem with dentures are that the bone under your gum can begin to shrink as time goes by, making the denture loose. Dentures can also rub, shift, and slip when eating or talking. But, all-in-all, for the fully edentulous, dentures are a non-invasive, painless treatment that can restore your smile, chewing ability, speech, and self-confidence.
Implants
Dental implants are a surgical procedure that places a small titanium post into your jawbone to act as the root of your tooth. The post is then topped with a replacement tooth. However, to surgically insert a post for every missing tooth in a fully edentulous patient would be overkill. As a result, an implant denture can provide the long-term stability and strength of an implant but using only a few strategically placed implant posts to which your full denture is then attached.
ABOUT YOUR FT. WORTH, TX, DENTIST:
With over 25 years of professional experience, Dr. Steven M. Huffstutler and his caring team proudly provide exceptional preventive, cosmetic, and restorative dental treatment to patients and their families from across Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX, including North Richland Hills, Denton, the Mid-cities, Southlake, and all surrounding communities. We also have extensive experience helping patients find relief from painful TMJ disorders (various forms of jaw dysfunction). To schedule an appointment with Dr. Huffstutler, contact our office today by calling 817-918-3038.