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This is a question we are asked every day here at Seapoint Clinic.

For years, it was assumed that if you lost some teeth, or all of your teeth, that dentures were the only viable option to replace them. The recommended “wisdom” previously was that dentures were the easiest, most affordable and quickest option to give you back your smile.

What wasn’t mentioned was that dentures are like an oral wig, and are a replacement for teeth, but not a good replacement for YOUR teeth! Another vital piece of information that you may have not realised, was that once a tooth or teeth are removed and replaced simply by dentures, you will lose bone.

Bone is very similar to muscle. We often give our patients an analogy to help them understand the ramifications of tooth loss. If you break your arm, a cast is placed for a number of weeks. When the cast is removed, the muscle, due to inactivity, has shrunk.
Bone is the exact same, it decreases in size when it is not used. Use it, or lose it!
This is where the similarities between bone and muscle end. With proper exercise, the muscle can be regained.
Bone on the other hand, once lost, can only be replaced by costly, time consuming and often uncomfortable bone grafting procedures.

So, the message we try to relay to our clients, is that time is of the essence. The sooner you try and replace missing teeth with something other than a denture, the easier it is, and the better the result.

Dental implants are usually the best option to replace your missing teeth. Your bone will be stimulated by the dental implant and you will maintain your facial profile.
Women in particular, are guilty of spending a fortune on anti-wrinkle creams to reverse the signs of ageing. The youngest looking patients we see are those who have either kept their own teeth, or those who have replaced them with dental implants… and non-smokers of course!

There is no longer any need to look with envy at your friend chewing that juicy steak, your son munching on that apple. Dental implants are an affordable, reliable and strong alternative to that rocky denture.