Dental Implants vs. Traditional Dentures

Whether you're missing one or more teeth, having an incomplete smile can diminish your quality of life. Missing teeth make it difficult to eat all of your favorite foods and speak normally. Missing teeth can also change your physical appearance and harm the health of your remaining natural teeth.  

Thankfully, modern dentistry provides patients with several treatment options designed to restore the form, function, and beauty of their smiles. Two of the most popular options are dental implants and dentures. Determining which option is right for you will be much simpler when you understand the difference between the two treatments and how they work to restore your smile.  

Dental Implants vs. Dentures: What's the Difference?

What Are Dental Implants?

A dental implant is a prosthetic device designed to mimic the natural root of a tooth while supporting a dental restoration. The implant itself is a screw-like device made of biocompatible metal. Placed directly in the jawbone, the implant osseointegrates with the surrounding bone matter, forming a secure and stable bond.  

What Are Dentures?

Traditional dentures are another type of dental prosthetic. They are typically made of a combination of metal, acrylic, and porcelain. They can be full (replacing an entire arch or both arches of teeth) or partial (replacing several missing teeth within an arch), and they are designed to sit on top of the alveolar ridges (hugging the hard palate in the case of an upper denture).

Traditional dentures are removable and secured inside the mouth using a combination of natural suction and dental adhesive.  

How Dental Implant Treatment Works

On their own, dental implants do not replace a missing tooth. Dental implants, however, are designed to attach to and support several different types of dental restorations. For example, a single dental implant can be attached to a dental crown to replace an individual missing tooth. One or two dental implants can be used to support a dental bridge in order to replace several consecutive missing teeth. A number (four, six, or eight) dental implants can be strategically placed around the mouth to support a fixed denture.  

Cost Comparison

Typically, smile restoration with traditional dentures is less expensive than treatment with dental implants. However, the total cost of care will depend on the patient's individual case, specific treatment needs, and insurance coverage.  

Treatment Process

The treatment process for getting dentures or dental implants is different for every patient. For example, some patients will require preparatory work to be done (like tooth extractions or bone grafting procedures) before treatment begins or before dentures can be designed and fitted. Despite these differences, treatment with dental implants usually takes quite a bit longer than treatment with traditional dentures because the process requires several appointments and periods of healing before the final restoration can be placed.  

The Benefits of Implants: Why Most Patients Prefer Dental Implants

While modern traditional dentures are highly customized and offer way more comfort and functionality than the dentures of days gone by, smile restoration with dental implants offers many advantages and benefits.  

Some of the benefits of dental implants include:

• Superior Comfort and Security - Dental restorations supported by implants never move or slip around in the mouth.  

• Natural Look and Feel - They look, feel, and work just like natural teeth.  

• Support Jawbone - Dental implants provide direct stimulation to the jawbone, triggering the generation of bone matter. This keeps the jawbone strong which prevents the bone from deteriorating, maintains your physical features, and also keeps neighboring natural teeth healthy.  

• Easy Care - Implant-supported restorations can be maintained with regular oral hygiene practices like brushing and flossing. The addition of a water flosser can help ensure your gum tissues remain healthy to support the integrity of the dental implant.  

• No Adhesive - Implant-supported restorations do not require dental adhesive.

• No Soft Tissue Sores - They never move around resulting in soft tissue sores.  

Modern Tooth Replacement With Dental Implants and Dentures in Rapid City

At Loftus Dental, we're proud to provide our patients with comprehensive restorative care. Whether you are missing one tooth, several teeth, or all of your teeth, we can help you find a treatment plan to restore your smile while meeting your needs and personal treatment preferences.

If you're tired of living with an incomplete smile, we welcome you to contact our office to request a consultation with our dentist in Rapid City. We can talk with you about your treatment goals and help you determine whether dental implants, traditional dentures, or implant-supported dentures are right for you. We look forward to working with you to restore your smile and your quality of life!

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