Missing teeth affect more than just your smile’s aesthetics — they can also impact eating, speaking, and confidence. At Leavitt Dentistry, we offer several effective ways to restore missing teeth, including dentures and implants.
If missing teeth are impacting your ability to eat your favorite foods, communicate clearly, and smile with confidence, keep reading to learn more about dentures and dental implants, including their differences, benefits, and situations where each may be recommended.
Why Replacing Missing Teeth Is Important
Before we get into tooth replacement options, let’s discuss why replacing missing teeth is important.
Missing teeth are more than a cosmetic concern. Left untreated, missing teeth can lead to a wide range of oral health issues, including:
- Shifting nearby teeth
- Changes in bite alignment
- Difficulty chewing certain foods
- Jawbone loss over time
- Speech challenges
At Leavitt Dentistry, we know that replacing your missing teeth, whether with dentures or implants, helps maintain both your oral health and your overall quality of life.
The Pros and Cons of Traditional Dentures
Traditional dentures are removable appliances designed to replace multiple missing teeth or a full arch. Full dentures replace all teeth in the upper and lower arch, while partial dentures replace several missing teeth while the remaining natural teeth stay in place.
We custom-make the appliances to fit your unique mouth structure, ensuring a comfortable fit. Plus, our modern dentures are more natural-looking than those of the past, helping you show off your smile more confidently.
Dentures typically come with a lower upfront cost than implants, making them a good option for patients on a budget. Additionally, traditional dentures don’t require oral surgery beyond extracting the remaining teeth, which means they’re suitable for those who either don’t want or don’t qualify for implant surgery.
However, even with adhesives, traditional dentures may shift or move while speaking or eating, and their chewing power is less than that of natural teeth or implants. Furthermore, because they don’t stimulate the jawbone, bone loss continues over time, which means periodic adjustments or replacements may be necessary as the jaw changes.
The Pros and Cons of Dental Implants
Dental implants are artificial tooth roots made of titanium that are placed in the jawbone to support custom-made replacement teeth. Over time, the implants fuse with the bone in a process called osseointegration, creating a stable foundation that functions just like a natural tooth root and does not shift or slip while speaking or eating.
Implants are the closest replacement to natural teeth in both function and appearance, and with proper care, they can last decades. Plus, the implants stimulate the jawbone and help prevent bone loss and deterioration.
However, adequate jawbone density is needed in order to support the implants, which means some patients may require bone grafting. Furthermore, they come with a higher upfront cost than dentures and require a minor surgical procedure for placement.
The Best of Both Worlds
If you’re missing many or all of your teeth, there’s another replacement option: implant-supported dentures, which snap onto implants placed in the jaw. They’re still removable, but are far more stable than traditional dentures, improving chewing ability and comfort.
Hybrid dentures are similar, except they’re permanently attached to several implants and cannot be removed except by a dentist. They’re incredibly strong and stable, providing an experience that looks and feels like natural teeth.
The Importance of Personalized Treatment Planning
At Leavitt Dentistry, we understand how important the decision between dentures and implants is, and we want to help you make the right choice. We know that every patient’s situation is unique, which is why we perform a comprehensive evaluation to come up with a personalized treatment plan.
Dr. Leavitt will evaluate your overall oral health, jawbone structure and density, bite alignment, long-term needs, lifestyle, personal preferences and goals, and the number of missing teeth to determine the solution that best meets your needs and restores your smile’s function and aesthetics.
Expert Restorative Dentistry in Pocatello
Trust Leavitt Dentistry in Pocatello, Idaho, for cutting-edge restorative dentistry solutions. Whether you’re missing one tooth or a whole arch, Dr. Leavitt and his team will restore your smile with the care and compassion you deserve.
If you’re considering tooth replacement options, contact Leavitt Dentistry today to schedule a consultation and discuss how we can help you achieve a healthier, more confident smile.