5 Reasons To Choose A Dental Implant Over A Flipper
There are many differences between a dental flipper or partial denture and a dental implant. One of the biggest differences between these two treatments is cost. This difference is enough to put some patients off dental implants. But although they are more expensive, dental implants do have many advantages over dental flippers.
If you aren't sure whether to choose a dental flipper or a dental implant to replace your lost tooth, consider the following benefits offered by dental implants.
1. Easier to clean and maintain
Although you can remove flippers to clean them, you then need to leave them in water or a cleaning solution overnight. And every time you eat, food may stick to your flipper, meaning that you need to remove it to keep your partial denture in good condition.
A dental implant, on the other hand, is far easier to clean and maintain. Like natural teeth, dental implants are a part of your jawbone, side by side with your other teeth. As a result, you only need to brush and floss them as you would natural teeth.
2. More realistic in appearance
Flippers do look natural to a certain extent due to improvements in dentistry. But there will be times when they become more visible due to slippages or awkward moments when you might need to remove them. Dental implant crowns, the tooth section of dental implants, are fashioned carefully in a ceramist's lab to look just like your own natural teeth.
3. Equal to a natural tooth when chewing
Yes, you do have to wait a lot longer (several months) to use a dental implant fully, but once you can chew comfortably on a dental implant, they function equally as well as natural teeth do.
Flippers aren't a part of the jawbone, which means they will never be as stable as dental implants.
4. Jawbone preservation
Flippers do little to preserve your jawbone, which naturally deteriorates after tooth loss. After wearing a flipper for a few years, you might see some considerable bone loss in the area under the flipper. Dental implants integrate with the jawbone, and they even stimulate jawbone growth. This ensures that your facial shape remains the same despite natural tooth loss.
5. Longer lasting
Dental implants will last a lifetime in many cases, provided you take good care of them. But while partial dentures can last a decade or more, the changes in your jawbone during that period mean that you'll need to reline your denture several times during that period.
A dental flipper can replace a tooth, but it won't offer the same stability and longevity as a dental implant. If you have lost a tooth, a dental implant is the best replacement option available to you.
Reach out to a local dentist to learn more about dental implants.
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