4 Reasons to Consider Dentures Over Dental Implants
Dental implants are becoming an increasingly popular way to replace natural teeth, and they do hold a number of compelling advantages over the traditional set of dentures. However, there are some reasons you might want to consider dentures instead, so read through the following list of four before making a decision.
1. Dentures Are Less Expensive
Probably the most commonly cited reason to choose dentures over dental implants is that doing so will save you a lot of money. Most dental practices will offer payment plans and financing to spread the cost out over several years, but it's worth keeping in mind that dental implants commonly end up costing thousands of dollars more than dentures. If anything goes wrong, dental implants are more expensive to fix since the lower section will have actually been fused to your bone.
2. Dentures Require No Surgery
As mentioned above, dental implants need to be fused to the jawbone. For most people, the invasive surgery required to fit dental implants is worth it, but others find the procedure too worrying. If you had trouble recovering from the initial extraction of your missing teeth or have some sort of medical condition that compromises your body's ability to heal, you might want to think twice about dental implants. And remember, dental implants can still fail.
3. Dentures Are Easy to Adjust
Ask yourself how healthy the rest of your teeth are. If you expect or have been told that other teeth may need to be extracted in the near future, dentures might be a better option than dental implants. Why? Because dentures are easy to adjust to include addition false teeth. Dental implants can sometimes be used to hold a bridge, but the loss of further teeth often means further expensive surgery.
4. Dentures Allow You to Smoke
If you smoke, quitting is the best thing you can do for your oral health. Unfortunately, smoking is a very hard habit to cut, and plenty of people continue smoking despite the dangers. If you smoke and are not willing to quit, dental implants might prove problematic. The success of your dental implants depends on the ability of that implant to fuse with bone. This process, which is known as osseointegration, is less likely to occur when you smoke. In fact, you'll notice that many dental surgeries don't offer free ongoing care if anything goes wrong when the patient is a smoker.