If you've lost one or more teeth, the two options you'll hear about most are implants and dentures. Neither is "better" in every case. They solve the same problem in very different ways, and the right answer depends on your mouth, your health and your budget.
What each one is
A dental implant is a small titanium post placed into the jawbone. Over a few months the bone grows around it, and a crown is fixed on top. It behaves like a tooth with a root. A denture is a removable plate carrying artificial teeth. It rests on the gums and is held in place by suction, clasps on neighbouring teeth, or adhesive.
How they compare
- Chewing: implants are fixed, so you chew much as you would with natural teeth. Dentures can move, and many people avoid hard or sticky foods with them.
- Bone: an implant stimulates the jawbone like a natural root, which helps stop the bone shrinking. Under a denture, the bone continues to shrink slowly, which is why dentures need relining or remaking over time.
- Neighbouring teeth: implants stand on their own. Partial dentures often clip onto nearby teeth, which puts extra load on them.
- Daily care: you brush and floss an implant like a tooth. Dentures come out to be cleaned and are usually left out overnight.
- Time: an implant takes a few months from placement to final crown, because the bone has to heal. Dentures can be made in a few weeks.
- Cost: implants cost more up front. Dentures cost less initially but usually need adjustment or replacement every several years.
Who is a candidate for implants?
Most healthy adults are. What matters is the amount and quality of bone, and your general health. Heavy smoking and poorly controlled diabetes reduce the success rate, so we'll talk about those honestly. If the bone is thin, a bone graft is sometimes possible first. A 3D (CBCT) scan shows us exactly what we're working with before anything is decided.
A middle option
For people missing all their teeth in a jaw, implant-supported dentures are worth knowing about. Two to four implants hold a denture firmly in place, so it doesn't slip, without the cost of replacing every tooth individually.
How to decide
The best starting point is an examination and a scan. We'll go through what is realistic for your mouth and give you a written quote for each option, so you can compare them side by side. Read more about our approach on the teeth replacement page, or call +91 94444 08087 to book a consultation in Mannady.
