THE solution for tooth loss for many generations has always been straightforward: dentures, but in the last few years, things have taken a totally different turn.
Dental care has been revolutionised with the introduction of dental implants, emerging as a formidable, albeit costly alternative.
Consider the story of a certain woman who, immediately after experiencing severe tooth loss, was so devastated about how she looked, with wrinkles all over, a sunken face, that she appeared 50, although she was only 30.
Due to experiencing a long procedure of tooth extraction, she was not ready yet to go through more procedures; she was still traumatised.
She was called names and reminded that she had changed.
The woman had no option except to go back to the dentist who had given her a treatment plan before she left the clinic, which she had not adhered to.
The dentist gave her options: either to get implants and an overdenture, a type of removable dental prosthesis that sits on top of and is supported by dental implants or the roots of a natural tooth by bar attachments or artificial teeth fixed on implants. Another option was to consider the conventional type of prostheses/ dentures, whereby a traditional denture is made that uses the suction mechanism for stability and retention. It is important to understand how these artificial constructions work.
Many times when people lose teeth, they feel they have lost their image, their life and they need to get it back. It is very possible to get it back, but also important to understand the treatment options available so that you can choose wisely. Choosing between dental implants and dentures is no longer that simple; it is very complex, weighing down on health, finances, as well as quality of life.
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Traditional dentures
Traditional dentures are removable appliances designed to replace missing teeth. They can be partially or fully removable. They are non-invasive, relatively affordable and can be quickly fabricated. For many, especially those with compromised health or insufficient jawbone density, they remain a viable and life-changing option. Dentures usually last for 3 to 5 years before getting a new replacement. After getting them, people usually have time to adapt to them. It takes about 33-40 days for complete adaptation to a new denture.
However, they can also present significant drawbacks. They can fall or cause soreness, require adhesive pastes to enhance stability and fixation, and they can also cause the patient to have dietary restrictions. Dentures cannot be compared to real teeth; they cannot withstand chewing forces (poor load-bearing capacity) like the natural teeth can, and they can cause bone atrophy due to less stimulation of the bone during function. Hence, after using a denture for years, your bone will also be going down and that is why there is a need for readjustment and fabrication of a new denture. Therefore, old dentures do not improve function at all but rather cause more deterioration of the bone and the oral function.
Implants
Dental implants are not just mere replacements of teeth; they are replacements for the tooth roots. The bone is drilled and an implant is surgically placed inside, and a process called osteointegration is expected to occur, which is defined as the connection between the bone tissue and the implant to ensure stability of the implant. Once the latter process has occurred, a custom-made crown is attached to this sturdy foundation. Generally, dental implants have very transformative benefits; they are the closest thing we can have to a natural tooth as they function, feel and look like real teeth. They are fixed; they cannot be removed, though they are high maintenance and costly, but it is worth having them, especially if you have good bone
density.
Dental implants allow normal eating, speaking and most importantly, just like our tooth root, help with stimulation of the jawbone, which ensures that there is regeneration of new and good bone, preventing loss of bone as we see in dentures. This is very advantageous because they preserve the facial structure and that sunken face will automatically disappear. Implants can be applied to replace one tooth, multiple teeth with an implant-supported bridge, or even a full arch of teeth.
For patients who are worried about the costs and who already wear dentures, implant-supported overdentures, where the denture snaps and clicks securely onto several implants, can offer a revolutionary ground providing great stability without the high-cost full set of implants considered.
However, these cutting-edge solutions come with very high price tags and significant time investment. A full mouth reconstruction is not a sprint process but rather a marathon; often it takes several months from surgery to crown placement, so how does a person choose which option is the best?
The financial equation: Upfront cost vs long-term investment
The initial cost is the most crucial barrier for most patients, considering that medical aid does not cover these procedures fully, patients usually must pay more money on top, using their medical insurance benefits.
Traditional dentures are very cheap and often cost less for a full set of teeth. While dentures are cheap, they need to be replaced every 5-8 years due to bone changes, but a good implant can last a lifetime, though the crowns on top of the implant may need replacement after 10-15 years; the implant itself is permanent.
The bottom line is that there is no one-size-fits-all answer. The best choice is a personal one, which is usually governed by the bone density you have, systemic conditions like diabetes, or habits like smoking that can affect the success of an implant, the budget, as well as the lifestyle.
