Balwyn is a residential suburb in Melbourne, Australia, just a couple of kilometers from Melbourne’s central hub. With its residents having easy access to everything, smoking has long been a common habit among the roughly 13,312 residents in the area, making it one of the leading causes of dental and oral health issues in Balwyn.
These dental issues include gum disease and decay, with many cases resulting in tooth loss, which can significantly affect confidence and daily life for those dealing with it. When replacing a missing tooth (or teeth), dentists in Balwyn will typically offer two options: dental implants and dentures.
Choosing the right solution depends on your preferences and a few factors, like cost, the health of your remaining teeth, and your jawbone. Dental implants and dentures offer different sets of benefits, so it’s important to discuss your options with your dentist in Balwyn.
For patients with one or two missing teeth, implants are generally a better solution than dentures. But the question remains for those missing a full row of teeth: which is better, dentures or implants?
Advantages of Dental Implants
Dental implants have become increasingly popular in recent years as a tooth replacement solution, largely because they’re designed to function like natural teeth.
The procedure starts with the dentist placing a titanium implant post, which acts as an anchor, by fitting it into the jawbone.
Next, an abutment and a crown, which looks like a natural tooth, are placed on top of the anchor. The end result is a sturdy, natural-looking tooth that’s permanently and firmly held in place.
Dental implants avoid the potentially embarrassing issue of teeth shifting or slipping in the mouth. Since implants are firmly anchored in the jawbone, there’s no slipping, which allows you to eat nearly any food you’d like.
Chewing with anchored teeth also helps strengthen the jawbone, so you’re less likely to experience the bone loss that can cause a sunken look around the mouth over time.
A few downsides of dental implants are the cost and the extensive procedure required to place them. Replacing a full set of teeth would require multiple sessions, which can get expensive, and implants aren’t the right fit for everyone.
Your dentist in Balwyn will check whether your jawbone and gums are strong enough to support implants.
Advantages of Dentures
Dentures are removable. They’re a prosthetic set of teeth that fit into the mouth regardless of the health of your remaining teeth or jawbone. They come as partial sets, replacing either the top or bottom row, or full sets, which replace both rows of teeth.
Dentures have long been the treatment of choice for older patients who have lost most of their teeth, and for those who don’t have enough healthy teeth left to support bridges or crowns.
Dentures are also far cheaper than dental implants, which can be a deciding factor if you don’t have insurance to cover the procedure. A few downsides of dentures include the need for regular replacement and adjustment, since the shape of your gums changes as you age.
Leaving dentures unadjusted for years can result in an ill-fitting set that slips and shifts in the mouth while you speak or eat. You’ll also need to care for your dentures the same way you would your natural teeth — infections can develop around the gums and mouth if dentures aren’t cleaned properly.
To find out what’s best for you, consult with a reputable, experienced dentist. An experienced dentist in Balwyn can give you the best recommendation for your specific dental issue and offer ways to maintain the best possible condition of your overall dental health.
