Dentures Vs Dental Implants

I'm trying to decide on which of the two dentures or implants will be my best buy. I have around 11 teeth remaining to be extracted, and half of them are down to the gum. I need teeth real soon and would appreciate some info or suggestions. Thank you.

REPLY

REPORT

Hello, Jerome! How are you?

I have full dentures and am happy to chime in for you, with information from my dentist and the NIH.....and when I had to get them, I was in a similar boat, due to genetics, childhood neglect and abuse... I'd suffered congestive heart failure, so there was a big risk to keeping my infected and failing teeth.

There are some drawbacks to each...

Implants are very expensive, the cheapest you can get are usually the 4 on 4, which means you have 4 screws implanted that your dentures (fake teeth) attach to, the average is about $3,000 per implant, so around $12,000, plus the cost of the teeth. There is approximately a 25% failure rate, so there's a good chance that one of those screws will not set in the bone and will have to be redone....which means more pain and misery for you. Additionally, most of them can only be removed by a dentist, so if you get a little piece of food or a seed under them, your only option is to suffer, or hope you can force it out with a WaterPik type of device, until you can get an appointment. However, they are the most stable and feel the most like natural teeth...plus you don't have to take them out each night....though another drawback there is the possibility of food residue getting caught in them, so you breath might be horrible, until you can see your dentist to have it removed. (There are some that allow home removal, but they can be hard to find.) They also help prevent as much degradation of the oral bone bridge... (that elevated spot in your mouth that your teeth sit in, just in case anyone doesn't know...for future readers of this post. :-))

Dentures are much cheaper, the expensive ones are usually about $2,500, you can usually get temporary ones that you can wear for 6 months, give or take, while your gums heal and you are working on a permanent pair that should last you 7 to 10 years, which can raise your price to around $5,000. Usually, you will have to visit your dentist regularly, every few weeks or so, for adjustments to your temporary ones, because they will become loose as you heal, you may also occasionally develop sores and etc. ...of course, you need to take them out regularly to clean them and clean your mouth, as well as removing the pressure from the oral bridge, so the bone doesn't degrade too fast. You have to be careful how you eat, as biting from the front may put excess pressure on that area of the bridge, so it could degrade faster, or too much pressure from chewing on one side or the other may cause your dentures to rock, which results in them becoming loose, so you have to get up in the middle of a meal and go fix them. They also cause some people to gag and vomit, if they sit too far back on the soft palette.

Some people have trouble eating certain foods with dentures...for example...

Large pieces of bread may stick to the upper denture and the only way to remove it is to take out the denture, or stick a finger in your mouth and scrape it off. You don't have that piece that is needed to create suction when you get implants, so bread won't stick.

Thin foods, such as lettuce, or the skin of tomatoes may not be easy to break up with dentures, since they are not as sharp and solid as real teeth... though this can also be an issue with implants.

There is also a big risk of small seeds getting stuck under them, though this also applies to both.

Many gums. gummy candies and chewy stuff will stick to them, this also applies to both, it's just the nature of acrylic.

I did A LOT of research, before getting mine... so I'm just trying to share everything that I can remember with you...

Implants are more expensive and harder to repair, if one becomes loose, chips, or breaks. Dentures can be easily and quickly fixed, without complications, most dentists use a type of super glue to repair them, or add a new tooth, so you're in and out in a very brief time. It is also much easier to find a dentist that can do an emergency denture repair, as not all work with the implants, but this could change in the future.

Some people will try to say that dentures should fit, without needing adhesive, but most dentists will tell you that this is not practical, because it can vary from person to person, depending on what you eat and etc. Thus, there is no harm, or shame, in using adhesives. Just remember that if you find yourself needing to apply it more than once or twice a day, they aren't fitting properly and you need to see your dentist. If you use an adhesive that contains zinc, using too much can result in overdose toxicity, so the zinc free are usually the best options. (And, if you get the temporary dentures, you will need to use more adhesive, in between dental visits, so go for the zinc free and ignore what anyone else says!)

Adding further info on adhesives... I've found that the paper wafer types that you wet and place in dentures feel just like sticking a piece of paper in between your dentures and gums, which is horrible!!! But that's just me, some people love them.

When I had my temporary ones, Poligrip zinc free worked great, but once I got my permanent ones, I had to switch to Fixodent Free.

I DO NOT recommend the places that are super cheap and only charge $199, or so, for a full set of dentures that are done in a day. Most of the people I know that have gone that route, have ended up needing a new set, or having to have them fully refitted anywhere from 6 months to 2 years afterwards.

And an added bonus to dentures is, if you change your mind later and want implants, they can be retrofitted to attach to the screws that must be implanted.

Is there anything I didn't cover? Please let me know, I'll gladly help, if I can.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

Oh, I've had mine for over 3 years, now and still love them

Sometimes, they rub and I have sores, or the come loose, but overall, they are awesome.

I may consider implants in the future, but no regrets, so far.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Hello Verwon,thank you for your response to my message,you really helped me alot with the information you posted.I think I be better with the dentures because I have only $2000 to spend and I don't have a problem with wearing the dentures as long as they look and fit ok.I'm going to need some choppers soon haha I have a few left to be extracted and I'll be so happy,it's a miserable feeling not to be able too eat certain foods that you are used to having.Thanks again and I will let you know when I get them too verwon

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I have had 3 Reclast infusions, Jan 2011, Feb 2012, Mar 2013. Also had chemotherapy in 2006 for a cancer diagnosis with ...

4 REPLIES

I'm sorry, this is not a new topic, but I have to get this off my chest. I was on 600mg of Lyrica for fibro for abou...

Dalacin for toothinfection Dolan 30 for pain and completing cephalexan for infectio related to bladder sling. Can I take...

1 REPLY

hi I'm getting my breast implants done in the next 8 weeks and Im a bit scared ! I am a A now want to have big boobs...

1 REPLY

I have been on Jadelle Implant for about 10 months, but since last month, i have been bleeding for 12-15 days. I need he...

2 REPLIES

Hi this is my. 10 month of having the jadelle implant and just a few weeks now have been having really bad chest shoulde...

2 REPLIES

I had jadelle implants which I removed after using it for two months and I got pregnant three month after the removal bu...

12 REPLIES

Hi everyone. So last week I went to get the jadelle removed but they only managed to get out one of the two implants. I ...

1 REPLY

I will beginning angeliq tomorrow and through all my research I feel this is the best choice for me. I have saline breas...

I just had Testopel implants put in about 48 hours ago. I noticed about 36 hours after the procedure some muscle crampin...

1 REPLY