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Implants or Dentures: Which One Gives a Better Bite?
Biting is such an instinctive and integral part of life that you can be excused for not giving it much thought. Dental-ese for your bite is “occlusion,” which includes all aspects of how your upper and lower teeth interact and overlap.
Permanent tooth loss affects occlusion, leading to a wide range of potential impacts, including eating, speaking, and the overall health of your mouth. Visit with the experts at New York Dental Health, with seven locations in the Bronx and New York City, New York, to explore the right choice for replacing lost teeth.
Today, we’ll take a closer look at implants and dentures, the two most common forms of full arch teeth replacement, examining how each answers the call for superior occlusion: which one gives a better bite?
How dentures work
Dentures can handle both full arch replacements or partial replacements that cover for only a few lost teeth. These use natural suction, adhesives, or in the case of partial dentures, clips around healthy, natural teeth.
You don’t need surgery to be fitted with dentures, and compared with implants, dentures are more affordable.
On the down side, dentures have a tendency to shift or slip when you eat or talk. Bite force doesn’t match that of natural teeth, and your fit can change over time, since dentures don’t interact with the bone in your jaw.
Dentures also have their own cleaning routine during which they may be dropped with normal handing, which can cause damage that renders them unusable. The average lifespan of a full denture arch is usually between 5 to 10 years, with a relining recommended every 1 to 2 years.
The case for implants
Like dentures, implants can replace all of your teeth or just some. Unlike dentures, which only replace the crowns of teeth, implants also restore the interaction between tooth and jaw.
The implant fuses into the bone of your jaw, mimicking the way a natural tooth stimulates bone tissue. This keeps your jaws healthy and strong.
Implants are surgical. A titanium post anchors in your jaw, so it requires surgery to place the post. This makes the process more time consuming and more expensive than dentures.
The benefits come in utility and durability. Implants don’t slip out of place, and with proper care may last 20 years or longer. “Proper care” is the same brushing and flossing routine you do now, combined with the usual twice-a-year dental visits to which you’re already accustomed.
Implants or dentures: Which one gives a better bite?
The difference is clear that, if you’re after the best “bite,” implants are the way to go. Consider:
- Implants can’t slip while you eat or talk
- Implants preserve jawbone health
- Implants have a longer life, as much as four times or more than dentures
- Implants provide about 80% of the bite force of natural teeth, versus about 25% for the best denture performance
- Over the long term, implants cost less than dentures
- Implants offer more comfort and a better quality of life than dentures
Contact the nearest location of New York Dental Health to discuss the best option for you with our expert teams. Call or click to book your consultation today.