4 Reasons to Choose Dental Implants Over Partial Dentures

Missing teeth can do more than mar your smile; they can also cause serious problems for your oral health.

For example, losing a tooth and failing to replace it is the leading cause of jawbone loss. The biting action of teeth helps stimulate and support bone health, much like exercise supports muscle health.

In addition, gaps left by missing teeth allow the remaining teeth to shift into them. And it’s usually not just one tooth that moves. Shifting allows other teeth to move into the newly formed gaps, creating a domino effect and affecting your entire bite.

An improper bite (malocclusion) can cause several problems, such as headaches, muscle pain, excessive tooth wearing, tooth loss, sensitivity, and even temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder.

Also, the molars in the back play a major role in grinding up meat and other foods. Missing molars, therefore, affect how we chew, and failure to chew properly can impact digestion, resulting in problems like acid reflux.

At Hometown Family Dental Centers in Fayetteville, Raeford, and Vass, North Carolina, we offer full and partial dentures as well as dental implants to help replace missing teeth and restore your oral health. There are four major reasons, though, why implants are the superior option, and our expert providers explain them here.

What are partial dentures?

Partial dentures are removable appliances that can replace one or several missing teeth in either the upper or lower arch. These acrylic false teeth attach to a metal, plastic, or acrylic base that slides into your mouth. Metal clasps that fit around existing teeth hold it in place. We shade the dentures to match your natural teeth, so they’re undetectable.

You can remove partial dentures at night for cleaning. According to a 2017 research review, cleaning partial dentures not only keeps them free of bacteria, but it also reduces the risk of developing cavities in nearby healthy teeth because you’re able to brush around them properly.

Because partial dentures are removable and may have concerns about appearance and fit, some people are hesitant to use them for tooth restoration compared with other options, such as dental implants.

What are dental implants?

Dental implants are titanium or zirconium posts inserted into your jawbone to replace a missing tooth. The implants act like natural tooth roots, providing a strong foundation for either a denture or a crown placed on top to restore the portion of the tooth visible above the gumline.

The implants can only be placed if the bone has enough healthy tissue to support them. Following placement, you need to wait 3-6 months for osseointegration to occur — for the bone to fuse with the post, holding it firmly and permanently in place. At that time, you can add the crown to complete the replacement tooth.

4 reasons to choose dental implants over partial dentures

Here are four reasons why dental implants are better than partial dentures.

1. Better ability to chew and talk

Even though partial dentures are fitted to your mouth and held in place by clasps, they can still slip and slide around in your mouth, which can make chewing and talking difficult. On the other hand, dental implants are fixed in your jaw, which means they don’t slide, and they act like your natural teeth.

2. Improved oral health

If partial dentures slide around, they can make your gums sore or even lead to an infection. Bacteria and fungi can live in the cracks and crevices of your dentures, raising the risk of infection, too. Implants, though, allow you to reach more easily between your teeth, so you can continue to floss for good gum health.

3. Durability

If you brush, floss, and schedule regular biannual dental visits, your implants can last a lifetime. Dentures, however, need to be relined or replaced every 3-8 years due to changes in gum shape.

4. Protection against bone loss

The artificial teeth attached to a partial denture serve the function of your natural crowns, and they prevent nearby teeth from moving into the gaps left by missing teeth. However, they don’t impact the jawbone, as they’re not attached to it in any way.

With dental implants, the post is implanted directly in the bone and fuses with it. Once the crown is attached, the bite pressure on the implants stimulates bone growth, preventing the jaw from atrophying, just as an unused muscle would without exercise.

Want to learn more about how dental implants can improve your oral health? Call Hometown Family Dental Centers or use this secure online form to request an appointment.