Removable Dentures and Dental Implants – Exploring Your Options (Part 1)
Sheen Dental, is a London dental clinic dealing in a wide variety of cosmetic, preventative and restorative dentistry methods including dental implants. In Richmond at our Sheen practice we get a lot of people coming to see us with missing teeth. The good news is that nowadays they have several options open to them, all of which have both advantages and disadvantages. In this first of two articles we’re going to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of removable dentures then in part 2 it’s the turn of dental implants.
First the advantages of removable dentures….
21st century dentures are a long way from the dentures of old, They’re more lightweight, natural looking and comfortable than their predecessors. Unlike dental implants they don’t require any form of surgery to fit and in most cases, once impressions have been taken, a patient can have a brand new set of teeth within a few hours.
Anther advantage is cost. On average a set of dentures are around a fifty percent cheaper than dental implants so they’re considered a good option for those on a tight budget. Finally dentures have been around in one form or another for hundreds of years, so they are familiar to most people as they understand how they work. Dental implants on the other hand are still viewed as something that’s unfamiliar and relatively new in terms of teeth replacement, and even though they’ve been around for over half a century, people are still wary and cautious about them.
What about the disadvantages?
The main issue with standard dentures is that they aren’t a permanent option. Because of the changing shape of your jaw that occurs when teeth are missing, dentures that once fitted perfectly, become loose over time. This means that they have to be continually adjusted to match these changes. Eventually when they can’t be adjusted any more they have to be changed. Generally speaking, wearers can expect 7-10 years use out of their dentures before a new set is needed.
Finally when you purchase dentures you’ll also need a constant supply of fixatives and cleaning agents throughout the life of your dentures, which is an added cost that needs to be considered.
As you can see, there are some solid pros and cons to mull over when you’re deciding about whether to have dentures, over dental implants in Richmond. But just to recap…
They don’t require a surgical process meaning a brand new set of teeth can be fitted in a day
They’re cheaper than dental implants by as much as 50%
They’re familiar to most people as they’ve been around for hundreds of years
Modern dentures are much improved from their older counterparts
On the flip side…
They only have a shelf life of somewhere between 7 and 10 years
A continual supply of fixatives and cleaning agents are needed throughout the life of your dentures.
To find out more information about whether dentures are for you contact Sheen Dental on 020 8876 5277 or visit our website at www.sheendentalimplants.co.uk where you can find a wealth of information.