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A smile is the best accessory, but if you’re missing teeth, you may not feel confident sharing your grin with the world. Fortunately, a dentist can help, and they’ll likely recommend dentures or dental implants to fill the gaps. Here’s a guide to help you understand the difference between these two solutions.

Dental Implants

Dental implants look and feel like natural teeth, and they’re typically used to replace one or a few teeth. You can brush, floss, and chew with implants just as you would normal teeth; there isn’t a risk of them falling out or slipping.

dentistDentists typically recommend implants to younger patients whose jawbones are healthy enough to support them. The implants are surgically fixed to the jaw bone with screw-like posts that act as artificial roots, making them stable and permanent. The implants fuse with the bone in a process known as osseointegration, preventing jaw disintegration.

Dentures

Dentures are artificial teeth typically used to replace one or both full rows of natural teeth. This dental solution is viable for people of all ages, especially those who have many missing teeth or a jaw bone that isn’t healthy enough to support implants. Although surgery isn’t required, your dentist may need to remove a few teeth to accommodate the denture plate.

Since they’re removable, dentures don’t fit as snugly as implants. Although you can brush the dentures like natural teeth, you’ll need to take them out and place them in a special cleansing solution every night. Even though dentures aren’t permanent, they can last several years.

 

If you want to restore your smile with one of these solutions, contact James Julien, DDS, in Kenai, AK. Dr. Julien and his team provide their patients with a variety of cosmetic dentistry services, including implant applications and denture fittings. To get more information about their services, visit the website or call (907) 283-4857.

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