Dental implants consists of tiny metal devices that are affixed to where your teeth used to be. Just like dentures, your original teeth have to be removed and swelling must go down before you can get dental implants. This does not take more than a day or so. If you have dentures already, you will not have to worry about the swelling and can get dental implants immediately.

The screws that are used in dental implants are affixed to your mouth with a temporary device such as a bridge. They are then capped with a crown that looks exactly like a tooth. The bridge will hold the teeth in place until the bones in the mouth have made the implants their own. This takes about four months, after which time the bridge can be removed. As the bridge goes on the inside of your mouth and is not visible to other people, no one will know that you have dental implants at all. They will think that you had your teeth fixed.

After the four months are up, the bridge can then be removed and you can use the dental implants like you would ordinary teeth. You do not have to worry about eating an ear of corn or biting into an apple and leaving behind a set of dentures, as you might have to do with dentures. Nor do you have to worry about taking the teeth out of your mouth periodically and cleaning them in a cup, as you do with dentures.

Are dentures cheaper than dental implants? Yes and no. They may be cheaper in the long run, but dentures do not last forever. You have to get them adjusted periodically. This means every year or so you need a new set. They are not cheap and run in the thousands. As insurance covers some dental work such as dental implants, dental implants make better sense in the long run as you do not have to continue to get them replaced. You have to take care of them as you would any other tooth, but you do not have to get them removed and replaced.

Removing your teeth can be embarrassing for some people, especially if they get dentures at an early age. Having bad teeth or missing teeth can be a confidence killer. In some cases, people have such bad teeth that they get an infection that spreads all over their body because of that which is in their teeth. In those cases, the teeth have to be removed.

If you have been advised that you need dentures, or just want a straight and healthy looking smile, consider seriously getting dental implants instead. They are the wise investment when it comes to confidence and will end up saving you money in the long run as they do not have to be replaced. You never have to worry about losing them when eating anything hard nor do you have to remove the for cleaning. Dental implants are the gold standard when it comes to teeth replacement.