East Tennessee Periodontics offers several replacement options for missing teeth to restore optimal oral health. The best treatment for you depends on your oral health needs and cosmetic goals. In our Knoxville, TN office, we will evaluate your gums and teeth and present you with all your treatment options, including implants and dentures.
Dr. Robert Cain can use dental implants to replace one missing tooth, several missing teeth, or all of your teeth. Dentures replace full rows or even arches of teeth.
Dental Implants
Dental implants are now the number one choice in tooth replacement. Implants offer a permanent and secure missing teeth treatment option with an extremely high success rate. They’re the only option that replaces the tooth root as well as the crown. They give you back 100% of your bite function, as opposed to only 30-40% with dentures. Implants look and feel the most like your natural teeth as well.
The cost of dental implants is definitely more than traditional dentures. But you don’t incur other costs down the line. If you have dental insurance it usually covers only the final restoration, like a dental crown or bridge. You have costs that include the materials used, the surgical procedure, and the anesthesia used. However, you don’t have the added future costs of adjustments to your restoration.
Implants give you confidence when you’re in public. You don’t have to worry about them slipping or falling out. With implants, there are no foods that you have to avoid and you don’t have issues speaking. Since they look and feel like your natural teeth, they don’t really have an adjustment period either. Even with all of the advancements, removable dentures are still bulky in the mouth and take some time to get used to.
With removable dentures, you’re required to take them out regularly, and use adhesive to keep them in your mouth. If you leave them in too long, they can irritate the soft tissue. Your gums need rest from the dentures, so you take them out overnight. With messy adhesive, you have to clean them each night, and thoroughly. We’ll recommend specific cleaning solutions and tools to get the best result.
You take care of dental implants the same way you would take care of your natural teeth. Simply brush and floss them like you normally would, and come into our office every six months for a dental cleaning and exam. Use a soft toothbrush and non-abrasive toothpaste so that the restoration isn’t scratched or damaged.
Dentures
For a long time, dentures have been the only option for replacing a full set of missing teeth. With the advancements in dental technology, dentures are now more realistic in appearance and provide greater comfort and fit. Dentures are affordable for missing teeth and cost significantly less than dental implants upfront.
Dentures may need to be replaced, realigned, or rebased over time. This cost can add up depending on the wear and tear. Dental insurance will typically cover between 15% and 50% of dentures, depending on your dental plan.
Removable dentures can sometimes move or shift while eating and chewing, causing embarrassment or a lack of self-confidence. Traditional removable dentures require special daily and thorough cleanings. Dentures do not support the structure of the jaw bone; patients may experience gradual bone loss and deterioration of the structure of the jaw. The more the jawbone deteriorates and changes, the more adjustments or replacements are needed.
Implant-Secured Dentures
Dr. Cain offers implant-supported dentures for permanent and secure results. All-On-Four dental implants use as few as four dental implants strategically placed in the jaw for maximum health benefits in securing a hybrid denture.
Using smaller implants, this procedure is often available to patients who have diminished bone structure in the jaw and may not have been considered a good candidate for traditional implants.
Knoxville periodontist Dr. Cain has the advanced training and experience to offer patients affordable full-service dental implants, including the All-On-Four dental implants procedure for securing a top or bottom denture. An implant-secured denture does not require daily cleaning or adhesives and allows patients to enjoy their best quality of life.
They can be brushed and maintained like your natural teeth. This permanent restoration gives patients confidence that their teeth will not shift or slip in social interactions.
All-On-Four gives you the best of both worlds with dental implants and traditional dentures. You get the reliability and perks of dental implants, but you don’t have to pay as steep of a price. A full arch of teeth is replaced with only four implants. You’re also able to get implant dentures if you aren’t eligible for full implants. They don’t require as much bone structure to stabilize them in your mouth.