DENTAL IMPLANTS VS. TRADITIONAL PROSTHESES - WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES

What are the differences between traditional and implantation-based prostheses?

Proper chewing ability is essential for proper digestion and requires proper teeth. Not to mention, your smile is almost as important! As we all know the health of a tooth is vulnerable, even a single missing tooth can affect your appearance and confidence, hindering our emotional level as well. So, no question, missing teeth need to be replaced which has two common ways, dental implants vs. traditional prosthesis. This writing will help to decide which is best for us.

Like every field in medicine requires a diagnosis of the patient’s condition, similarly, treatment in the dental implant dentistry begins after a proper diagnosis. It is important to thoroughly examine the jaw bone by panoramic X-ray, before deciding.

Traditional Prostheses are used when some natural teeth remain in the upper or lower jaw. It is removable and attached to a pink or gum-colored plastic base. It is connected by a metal framework that holds the denture in place in the mouth.

A dental implant that is used to support one or more false teeth or even a bridge is an artificial tooth root that placed into the jaw. Generally, this is placed beneath the gums to hold a replacement tooth, bridge or a complete denture. These days, with one or more missing tooth or teeth due to periodontal disease, an injury, or any other reason, dental implants have become a popular choice.

Let’s talk about the key differences between denture fixed on dental implants and traditional prosthesis by comparing their properties:

Aesthetics – In terms of aesthetics, dental implants supported dentures look and feel like your own teeth and thus offers distinguished aesthetics, as compared to the traditional prostheses.

Durability – Dentures fixed on dental implants are made from high-quality and unique titanium alloys which are strong, stable and extremely durable. Once proper care is taken, a dental implant-supported denture can remain functional for a lifetime. On the other hand, Traditional prostheses have a shorter lifespan as they are made from less durable materials and their attachment to the gums is far from perfect.

Impact on adjacent teeth - In case of dental implants dentures, no adjacent teeth need to be grounded down to hold the new replacement teeth or tooth. Whereas traditional prostheses need to be attached to the adjacent teeth on either side of the space left for support.

Function – Traditional prostheses are sliding and thus can make chewing and speaking difficult. On the other hand, most implantation-based dentures are fixed or come with a secure fit and do not slip or slide in the mouth. As they firmly support the false teeth, they sufficiently restore dental function in terms of speech and chewing efficiency.

Cost - The cost of dentures fixed on dental implants varies based upon the condition of your gums and jaw bone. They are significantly costlier than the traditional prostheses. Generally speaking, implantation-based prostheses may require additional surgical techniques like bone grafting in order to ensure there is enough bone for the implant to be stable. An exception to the latter is immediate loading implants that can be used in case of significant bone deficiency!

Consequence or Oral Hygiene - In traditional prostheses, supporting natural teeth on both sides need to be trimmed slightly to create room for the prosthesis. As a consequence, the healthy tooth structure has to be sacrificed. Whereas this is not the case with dentures fixed on dental implants. Therefore, they preserve the adjacent teeth and underlying jaw bone.

As we learned from the above article, in many ways, there is a significant difference between dental implants and traditional prostheses. This knowledge can be useful for those who have to choose between the two solutions. For the long-term, the success rate of dental implants is much higher than the traditional prosthesis.

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