Welcome to the final installment of our four-part article series in which we speak to an experienced Rutherford dental implants surgeon about getting new teeth. We ended off Part 3 with a comparison between the traditional dental implant and All-on-4® techniques used to provide patients with a brand new set of upper and/or lower teeth. We’ve still got a couple of questions for our dental specialist, so let’s get to those before wrapping things up. We were talking about the dental implant techniques used to give patients a brand new set of teeth and not just one new tooth. Can you explain to us where dentures fit in to the picture? “Well, removable dentures have been around for a long time. They’re a bulky plastic set of teeth and gums that are designed to fit over a patient’s natural gums, thereby making it look like they have teeth again. Dentures can help people to eat, speak and smile, but only to a limited degree,” explains the Rutherford dental implants surgeon. “It was only in the 1980’s that dental implants gained popularity and then, with the innovation of the All-on-4®, that they became regarded by many as the standard of care for patients who faced the need for a new set of teeth.”

If dental implants are capable of providing a far more sophisticated solution to tooth loss, then why do so many people still wear dentures? “There are so many reasons… many patients simply can’t afford anything more than a one-size-fits-all set of dentures. Others choose not to spend the money, even if they can afford it, because they focus only on the short-term. Spending a couple thousand dollars on dentures certainly seems better than a several thousand dollars on dental implants! If you’re getting new teeth, removable dentures can work out nicely initially, but with time you will come to realize the real toll these devices take on your quality of life.” Can you give us an idea of some of these challenges and disadvantages? “I’m yet to come across a patient who wouldn’t change at least one thing about their dentures… the problems typically experienced range from sore gums, terrible ulcers and inflammation to gagging, taste impediment and bad breath,” says the Rutherford dental implants surgeon. “Patients also gripe about having to take their teeth out to clean them all the time and about the need to have ill-fitting dentures replaced periodically.” “Ironically, dentures can end up costing a fair bit in the long term. When you add up the costs of anesthetic creams, overnight soaking solutions, adhesives and refittings over the years, you get a price tag that rivals that of dental implants. If you’re looking at getting new teeth, it really pays off in the long term to just have dental implants placed: both financially and in terms of quality of life. They function better, they feel more natural and they look great.” And there you have it! The latest and greatest on getting new teeth, courtesy of an experienced dental implant surgeon in Rutherford, New Jersey!