Missing teeth are a pain, both literally and figuratively. Once one goes, it seems as though all of the others just follow right along, and pretty soon, you are completely toothless! The most popular (and least expensive) option to replace your teeth is to get a pair of dentures.

While popular, most of our Houston, TX dental patients soon find that even the best-made dentures really aren’t all that comfortable. They might look pretty good, but they don’t function nearly as well as you would like for them, too. Unfortunately, that’s not the only problem with dentures.

Let’s take a look at dentures and some of the concerns that we have about dentures as a permanent, absolute solution for your missing teeth. You might be surprised at just how ineffective dentures actually are! It’s no wonder, considering that we have not changed the way dentures work since they were invented in 700 B.C.!

Since the Beginning…Our Plan Hasn’t Changed!

The first dentures come out of Italy around 700 B.C. People learned very quickly that without teeth, it is very difficult to eat and survive! They began by using bone and animal teeth to create a jaw-like shape. Over time, the materials have changed, but the idea and structure never has.

In all of those centuries, our plan never changed. People still believe that the best way to replace their missing teeth is to stick a jaw-shaped device full of teeth in there and hope that it chews well enough so that you can eat. We have some bad news: it doesn’t really work that way.

Research from the Mayo Clinic

The Mayo Clinic was curious about the difference between people who wore dentures and those who still had natural teeth. They found that denture-wearers had a life expectancy that was 10 years LESS than someone who still had their teeth. That’s an entire decade of lost time!

Poor Nutrition + Poor Health

So what causes such a change in life expectancy? We believe it has a lot to do with the nutrition that denture wearers miss out on. It’s next to impossible to eat fresh, crunchy fruits and vegetables when your teeth are being held in your mouth with suction. Instead, you have to cook or soften those fruits and vegetables, which often means losing some of the nutrients.

Imagine the impact that has on your overall health! If your body doesn’t have the nutrients and vitamins it needs to run effectively, how can you expect it to stay healthy? You can’t. Patients who cannot chew well often turn to foods that are harmful or hold no nutritional value, like empty carbs.

Dental Implants: A Better Solution

There is a better way to replace your missing teeth. There is a way that enables you to eat your food, smile with confidence, and most importantly, stay healthy! Dental implants replace your tooth more effectively so that you can still enjoy wholesome food without your natural teeth. Take a look below at a couple of full-scale replacement options that we have at Antoine Dental Center.

All on 4/All on 6 Implants

The All on 4 (and sometimes All on 6 for larger jaws) solution is a set of four dental implants that we place around your upper or lower arch. We then permanently attach a set of temporary teeth to those implants so that you can go home with a new, functional smile is the same day! In a few months, after your implants have healed and your new teeth have been created, we will bring you back in and permanently attach your new set of teeth.

Denture/Implant Hybrid Solutions

Some patients like being able to remove their teeth for cleaning and just prefer the denture solution but would like for it to be more stable. Antoine Dental Center can help with that! We offer what we called denture-implant hybrid solutions.

We place dental implants around your mouth and create a set of dentures (or retrofit your dentures) with attachment hardware. When you slide your dentures in, they will attach to those dental implants to create a stable, functional denture solution!

Learn More Today!

If you are ready to find a better solution for your missing teeth, contact our office today! We are here and ready to help you find the perfect set of dentures or replacement teeth. We know what it takes to keep those teeth stable and functioning, so come see us soon. You’ll be so happy that you did!