Getting New Teeth in New York? What You Need

to Know About Your Teeth Replacement

Options, PART 2

This four-part article series explores the key differences between dental implants and traditional removable dentures as two of today’s solutions to

tooth loss and edentulism.

Welcome to the second installment of this four-part article series on what those in need

of new teeth in New York really need to know about removable dentures and the host

of challenges they can go hand-in-hand with. In Part 1, we spoke to a dental implants

dentist in Stamford CT who explained one of the biggest problems concerned with

dentures: the fact that they only replace the crowns of the teeth and therefore do

nothing to maintain jawbone health. The resultant loss of bone volume through atrophy

can cause dentures that once fitted well to become loose and uncomfortable, thereby

necessitating periodic refitting. With time, however, the jawbone can wither away to

such an extent that treatment success of any kind becomes doubtful.

This is really only the tip of the iceberg… let’s continue looking at the challenges

associated with traditional removable dentures.

Value and Utility

According to a research survey, only 40% of the patients questioned still wear the

original set of partial dentures made for them. The remaining majority has had to have

their denture refitted and replaced. “Even if your dentures are still functioning after five

or even 10 years, you’re still losing bone volume in the jaw,” explains the dental

implants dentist in Stamford CT. “Bone is not easy to replace… Bone grafting is

expensive, painful and can lengthen treatment time considerably. Dental implants help

to prevent atrophy by stimulating the bone as the natural tooth roots used to do.”

The fact that removable dentures tend to need constant refitting and restoration doesn’t

say very much about their value and utility. Dental implants and the prostheses they

support, on the other hand, can potentially last decades without the need for any

restorative work. This is why they’re commonly considered the more cost-effective

option for getting new teeth in New York than dentures, even though they can initially

cost more.

Removable Dentures and Functionality

Patients in need of new teeth in New York reasonably expect the dental solution

provided to them to enable them to eat comfortably. Why then do 50% of patients

report that they eat better without their dentures? “Many patients report that eating

with dentures is very uncomfortable and even painful,” says the dental implants

dentist in Stamford CT. “Because the dentures rest on the gums, they apply all the

pressures and forces associated with chewing to the gums, which simply weren’t

designed to sustain that kind of abuse. As a result, denture wearers frequently develop

nasty oral sores and painful, inflamed gums. Eventually, many patients just end up

taking out their teeth to eat.”

This, of course, doesn’t go without consequence. Without any teeth at all, you can only

manage a very restricted diet. Coupled with the deterioration of jawbone health,

patients who have been wearing dentures for 15 or more years can only typically bite

down with a shocking 3% of a natural, healthy bite force, which is supposed to be 200

pounds per square inch. What does this mean?

“Some elderly denture wearers can suffer malnutrition because they are unable to

manage a decent amount and variety of food,” says the dental implants dentist in

Stamford CT. “This is not something you can ever imagine happening to you when you

initially make your choice of teeth replacement technology, but it’s not uncommon. In

fact, the inability to eat properly can claim as much as 10 years of one’s life expectancy

and this is why dentists recommend dental implants, which enable patients to eat most

of their favorite foods, over and above dentures.”

Stay Tuned for Part 3

To read more about what you really need to know about removable dentures and the

host of challenges they tend to come with, stay tuned for the second installment of this

four-part article series on getting new teeth in New York.